


SonnetTale - One World, One Voice

by Alexins, silverryu25



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Depression, First Time, Kidnapping, Minor Character Death, Multi, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Sexual Inexperience, SonnetTale, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2020-09-27 10:17:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 37,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20406085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexins/pseuds/Alexins, https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverryu25/pseuds/silverryu25
Summary: What do you do when all your HoPe has been taken? Destroyed beyond recognition? Your family abandoned you? And you end up with an irreversible mistake that is plain to any Judge that might cross your path? And there were a lot of them wandering around lately...Sopran decided to finally give up. After years and years of holding on, the last drop feel and nothing was left... right?





	1. SonnetTale introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> This is our first fanfiction together and we are happy to bring you a new AU called SonnetTale! :D  
The first chapter will give some information about SonnetTale and the fic starts after the monsters have been freed from the underground.  
I hope you will enjoy the fic! Let us know if you have any questions about the AU or any of the characters in the fic ^_^
> 
> Alexins - writer and the owner of the AU  
Silverryu25 - beta and brainstorm buddy
> 
> You can see Sopran and Tenor here:   
-> [SonnetTale Sopran and Tenor reference sheet](https://alexins.tumblr.com/post/185985769165/introducing-sonnettale)  
-> [Sopran and Tenor singing](https://alexins.tumblr.com/post/185985823520/sonnettale-tenor-papyrus-sopran-sans-just-a)

• Once upon a time, there was a peaceful community living at the foot of a mountain. They lived far away from humans, happy and had nothing to fear.  
• Music and vibes were their power, making them live in harmony with their surroundings.  
• But one day, humans arrived at the mountain. Out of fear, they began to slaughter the peaceful folk, only a few of them were able to escape down into the depths of the mountain.  
• The king and queen sealed the mountain with a strong barrier raised by a sonata made of incredible music, so no one could follow them.  
• They started building a new home under the mountain with what was left after the horrible act.  
• Years went by and the monsters were happy again, the only regret that they couldn’t leave the mountain and see the world, a big source of inspiration that made their souls and magic thrive.  
• After years and years, the first human fell down, becoming friends with them and unlike in other Universes they didn’t have to kill or to die.  
• Music was the key to breaking the barrier, to freedom. It would take one monster and 7 humans with different kinds of souls and music to harmonize and open the barrier.  
• Patience was the first, by the time the barrier broke they had already turned 76 years old, Bravery - the second 55 years, Integrity - the third 34 years, Perseverance- the fourth 25 years, Kindness - the fifth 19 years, Justice - the sixth 18 years and finally the twins of Determination, Frisk and Chara, 12 years old.  
• Asriel had never died in this universe and there was no first fallen human that made the monsters almost lose hope.  
• The humans that feel helped the monsters both to accept that it would be safe to come back to the surface and by shattering the barrier with an ancient song, a magnificent sonnet that perfectly counterbalanced the sonata that raised the barrier.  
• There was only one true pacifist run and no resets! Even if all the humans were able to do it, no one ever wanted to go back and start over.  
• Sopran being that universes Sans became a judge, but it was never necessary to judge the humans, the humans were kept away from Sopran by Baritone, Sporan's father, Gaster.  
• When they came to the surface they quickly learned about the alternative universes, all of them merging for unknown reasons, taking the reset abilities from the humans.  
• The monsters were quickly enamoured and overwhelmed by the huge variety and difference of the music from all the different universes and the new world they found themselves in, learning with a ferocity of long-starved creatures, their souls finally finding new harmonies to enrich their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please send us any questions you have! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> <strike>Singing</strike> in the rain ♪♪♪ and the story begins...

Did you ever ask yourself, what is music? No, I don’t mean it as a form of art and expression and sound organized in time. 

I mean, what is real music? The one in your heart, your surroundings... everywhere? The rhythm of nature, water, wind and many other things. It’s the chirping sound of a bird singing, the noises other people make, the flow of life and emotions all around us. 

But for today, it’s the soft sound of an early summer rain. The wind quietly moving through the trees, making them sway in pure sync with the sound and fall of the rain. It covered the dirty streets with it’s lovely wetness, turning into tiny puddles that reflected the peaceful scenery around it.

The streetlights showed off the tiny droplets, lighting up the darkness just a little bit, so whoever was wandering around could see just enough not to get lost. 

It was neither too hot or too cold, but the air and the rain felt heavier than ever. Wasn’t it meant to give a relaxing and peaceful feeling? Or the feeling of coldness and melancholy? Anything? But for the tiny monster walking around it was nothing more than another burden they had to carry on their lonely path. 

Life wasn’t worth living anymore. It just felt like one horrible day followed by another - just getting more and more painful than the one that came before. No hint of sound, no tune or rhythm, no beautiful whispers. There way only nothing. The quite. The silence. The dark.

The tiny monster was a Sans, nicknamed Sopran. One of many from all kinds of alternate universes that somehow, by a twist of fate, ended up on the same surface as many others. In Soprans’ Universe, there was no pain, no harm, no violence, not even any neutral or genocide runs. It was a world full of music and color. Where every object - dead or alive - had its own vibrant color and rhythm. Everything sang the song of life, of emotion, of movement. It was bright and wonderful for everyone. Well almost everyone. Sopran’s song didn’t ring as brightly or freely as their fellow monsters.

Their brother, just another Papyrus, was named Tenor. A lovely and talented singer with a voice like an angel and loved by every monster in their underground. He became the head of the royal Choir, back when they still lived in the underground - just as their father was before them.

Just for a moment Sopran paused, looking up. In front, on the top of a huge building, there he was. Tenor, showing off his full bright and happy self. The giant commercial announcing another concert back in the town, with another one labeled “Already sold out”! His popularity followed him to the surface and only bloomed even brighter.

A mixture of pain, anger and fear built up in Sopran’s tiny body. Hand formed into a clenched fist as the shaking started. 

Ever since they all came to the surface years ago, the distance between Sopran and Tenor started to grow even larger. Until that fateful moment, where everything changed for the worst. Not for Tenor... but for the tiny monster stumbling along in the rain.

Sopran was always playing a side role. Their father was disappointed in Sopran, never truly cared about his older child. Kept practically as a prisoner in their own - meant to be peaceful - world. The memories of those times were still so painful. With a blank mind, lost in the memories of a long gone past and the more recent horrors, Sopran continued to drudge on. 

Tenor... Sopran hasn’t seen him in years. Just because of that stupid awful argument that lead to them falling appart and ending up with Sopran in this fucked up situation. It was all the older siblings own fault. What a failure of a monster. 

Sopran was struggling with life for so long, not knowing if dealing with another day full of emotional pain was worth it. Why continue when no one even cared why Sopran was wandering around in the middle of the night all alone? Clothes not only covered and drained in rain, but a fresh layer of dust and hints of magic blood staining the wet clothes and bones. 

What had the tiny monster done? What was going on? What horrible act of violence lead to this senseless and lonely wandering around? 

If someone would ever try to check Sopran’s stats, they would notice the horrible truth. The LV was a solid 3, the consequence of the horrible ‘thing’ they did just moments ago.

Why couldn’t there be someone out there who could finally end this agony, this stupid misery? It was so god damn frustrating. Eyesockets empty, a dark abyss with not a single speck of light.The small chipped soul was barely beating. Just a slow quiet rhythm, almost no sound left. Faded to a dull gray, the once beautiful blue color had faded. 

Sopran realized just how stupid life had become. With sinking head and shoulders, the small monster started sobbing. It wasn’t important how fast the tiny monster moved or if someone a car came just a little too close. Honestly, it was more than welcome in this dark abyss of what was left of their little silent world.

Sopran wasn’t really paying attention to the surroundings. The sense of music had gone lost a long time ago, so what was the use in looking? 

The colors had vanished, turning the world into a dull dark and gray place. Almost emotionless. Sopran’s beautiful voice that had never been heard by anyone, finally extinguished completely. Mute. That lone word brought more and more pain. The voice finally extinguished by the jolt of pain gaining the 3 LV caused, making the already beaten soul crack and finally taking that beautiful voice with it.

It was the sheer endless disappointment of the small skeletons father, the famous and once well known leader of the royal Choir Gaster, Baritone. He wished for an offspring who could keep on the family tradition. But as soon as Sopran was born, his mood turned sour, some would even say cruel. 

Sopran never earned Baritone’s love, even if it was so deeply desired.

An artificial smile plastered on Sopran’s bony face, as the pain and guilt started crawling all over the tiny bones.

It was like the small skeleton’s non functioning lungs would collapse at any second. Mind empty, soul broken, nearly shattered.

In this state how was the lost monster supposed to notice that a frightening and bone-crushing presence was coming closer, soon to cross paths?

No one else was out here, in the streets. Only the rats ran around, but even they disliked the rainy day. 

Sopran’s breath started to calm. Eyesockets nearly extinguished, staring at the ground while stepping into a puddle, noticing the slow spread of ripples in the water. 

Something needed to be done, something had to change. The monster wanted to wash away the blood and dust, to simply forget what had happened. 

But it was impossible. Someone would still notice, feel the weight of the LV... Judge the sins. And push the small weak monster even deeper into the ground…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know what you think ^.^


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> <strike>Hello</strike> from the other side ♪♪♪

Getting drunk wasn’t something the monster did on purpose. But after a rough day like today, it was quite welcome. A variety to his daily routine, mind blank and spinning just to forget those noisy obnoxious human clients. 

It’s not like he hated his job. Ever since they’ve come to the surface working for a security company fit his skills and temper very well. He was another Sans, going by the nickname Red. Their underground was one of the most cruel and violent ones. 

It was somehow hilarious that they named it Underfell, but he kind of liked the name and accepted it as it was. 

It was hard to figure out the best job for every monster from his underground, but since their appearance was kind of rough and strong, they were perfect for jobs that required muscle and intimidation. They were especially well suited to be bodyguards for humans and monsters of all kinds. 

The salary was good, enough for him and his younger brother to live a normal life. Not on high standards, mostly because Red didn’t want it. But they both had a car, a nice big home and more than enough to eat. 

Life had gotten a lot easier for them. No more death, no resets and no violence. Except for the criminals running around on the surface. Still it was nothing compared to the things Red had suffered from in the past. 

But on days like this, he just wanted to get his head clear, or well to drive out the events of the day. It wasn’t that exhausting, but being the babysitter for a spoiled human brat wasn’t something he enjoyed. He never got why humans liked to act like assholes. Just because they had money they believed that they were famous and better than others. 

Money wasn’t everything! There where things that matter a lot more. Like family, friends... love. Something Red was still scared of and what led him to be the loner he still was. 

Of course he wanted to know how it felt to be in love. But for his kind, it wasn’t that easy. It would take a lot of work and trust. It’s not that easy to open up to another monster, to expose his soul. Especially in his case. Love wasn’t something at all usual in their underground. 

Thoughts like this just filled his head whenever he got drunk. Back in the underground he enjoyed his mustard drinks, but with all the humans around, it freaked them out and he was tired of dealing with humans like that. He picked up the habit of using small bags of mustard to mix them into strong alcohol and enjoy himself. 

Some people might think he was even scarier when he drank too much. Laughing out loud out of the blue, without a reason. It was hard to figure out what he was thinking in those moments. He was a mystery. 

Just like now. He finished his last drink, sitting in a corner, relaxing. His head hurt, thoughts hammering in his skull while he tried to get focused again. 

He just wanted to go home. But he knew that he would wake his boss up, getting a tongue-lashing why he came home drunk, smelling like shit and stuff. His brother was always worried about him. But Red tried everything to be the best older brother he could be - and not to ruin anything they’ve built. 

The burly monster pushed himself up from the comfy seat, bumping into the table and nearly making the empty bottle fall down. But he laughed it off. Just as always. Humans and monsters just shook their heads and ignored the drunken skeleton. 

Red needed some fresh air. It was hard to walk straight out of the bar, geez, how much did he drink? Maybe a little bit too much. Was it really necessary to push himself over his limit - again? 

As soon as he opened the door, he felt the humid air seep deep into his bones. Great! It wasn’t raining when he entered the bar hours ago. It was a nice and warm evening, not this rainy mess outside.

The weather was definitely something he started to dislike. He just couldn’t get used to rain. He knew his clothes would get all wet and he would definitely need a shower as soon as he returned home. 

Red growled. Putting his hands into his pockets he started to move slowly. This would be a long walk home, maybe enough to wear off some of the alcohol, making his skull less vulnerable against his brother’s yelling. He didn’t need another _talk_ with him. Not now or any other day. Arguing with the boss was always horrible on his nogging. 

Edge never drunk. He says it’s against his own principles! Red snorted, keeping down snide laughter. Well, beside boss being the bigger skeleton, to him he was still as cute as a  
babybones. But there was absolutely no way that Red would ever say a single word about it. 

He loved his brother. And knowing that it was finally safe for the both of them and their friends was overwhelming. Even his nightmares almost vanished overtime. 

He felt safe. Just once in his life he wasn’t scared all the time! The quiet and empty streets didn’t make his anxiety spike. It was peaceful. There was nothing that would jump around the corner and try to kill him.

He paused for a moment, looking up into the sky. Closing his eye sockets, he felt the soft rain settle on his bones. What a time to be alive. Despite his dislike of rain, it was a wonderful feeling. The tiny droplets rinsing down his face were a firm reminder he was no longer trapped underground. Finally he felt peace. 

A moment of silence. Just him and the rain. No noises, no words. He felt himself starting to relax. He could stay here forever. But he knew that wasn’t possible. He could catch a cold and maybe would have to stay at home for a view days. Skeletons got sick, right? Or was he just too drunk...

He decided to keep on walking home. It was still too early to take a shortcut (thanks to him being too drunk), but the walk was something he definitely wouldn’t regret. 

So he just walked slowly along the streets, hands still deep down in his pockets. 

At some point, he started to feel restless. It was a cold feeling going deep down into his bones. A strange sensation. He couldn’t figure out why he felt like this all of a sudden. Maybe his drunken mind was playing tricks with him? This place was safe, there wouldn't be anything dangerous. Or anyone… right?

But the more he walked, the heavier the feeling became. It was something familiar. Something he experienced many times. It was like his judge sense was set on alarm... like when he kept walking down that cursed yellow hallway... 

Wait! What? He shook his head, tried to focus. He was still out in the street, what in this world made him think of the golden corridor? The creepy feeling of seeing the human crossing his path. They were scared, every single time he saw that tiny fragile thing looking at him in pain and fear. 

Red kept saying to himself that everything was a-okay. Nothing to worry about. It became his mantra. At least until he noticed something in the distance. There was someone coming closer. 

It was a figure with a small frame, a human? A monster? Red couldn’t clearly see what it was, but the way it moved was weird. Different than others would walk in the rain, trying to get home. It didn’t hurry. It didn’t try to fend off the rain even a little. It moved slowly, close to stumbling.

He tried to calm down the rising fear. He was on high alert. If he wanted to figure out what was going on, he had to keep walking. And so he did. One step after another, the other steadily coming closer. 

What was wrong with them? Red couldn’t clearly see anything. It was way too dark, there was too much rain and he was still drunk. 

But the strange figure just kept walking, slowly coming closer. Until the moment where they finally crossed his path, the monster bumped into the much bigger skeleton and stumbled back. Weird. Didn’t they see him? 

Red froze the moment the one came that close to him. He was maybe up to the middle of Red’s chest and smelled like a mix of fresh dust and magic blood. His face turned cold, his red eyes darted over the fragile creature. 

The stranger was another skeleton monster. Looking at him with empty eyesockets, shivering. Red was alarmed. If there where fresh traces of dust, the only thing that came into his mind was danger! 

An evil grin formed on his bony face. A sparkling glimpse of magic filled his socket, while he locked down on them.

It came in handy being his world’s judge, just like most other Sanses were. He wouldn’t have to fight the new monster, a simple check would show what was going on. 

Sans  
LV 3  
HP 0.6/0.8  
* Nothing is left.

What?! How was this monster alive? He raised a bony eyebrow, still focusing on the monster in front of him. He thought he knew all of his alternates, but this tiny version.. was different. Judging him by his look, he was smaller compared to all the others. But you should never judge a book by its cover. 

“what’r ‘ya up to buddy?” He asked with a growl in his voice. He noticed the other taking a step back, pressing his hands closer to the small frame. “what’s wrong with ya? don’t ya know how to greet a new pal?” 

Still no response. Red felt anger crawling up his spine. A Sans wasn’t meant to be silent. They always had a strong personality due to the shit going on in their lives. But this one, he just stared at him, his eyesockets sill empty. Not moving a single bone. 

“i’m talking t‘ya! i hope yer got a good reason why yer covered in dust’n blood!” 

But again, the other one stayed quiet. Not a single word. What was he up to? Does he want to fight so badly? Red could handle him on his own, but some part of his soul wanted an answer, a reason why he was here, why he suddenly appeared out of nowhere in such a shape. 

“listen buddy... last chance or ‘yer going to have a bad time!”

A monster, full of dust and blood. With their LV going at 3. He must have killed at least a few monsters. That was sure. There was no other explanation. But why was another Sans, a judge, so cruel? This world was peaceful, there was no need to kill someone. And if he had used Karmic Retribution then he wouldn’t have gotten a LV, meaning he did it in a different way. Intentionally?

Red knew he could trust his own sense of judgement. It never failed. He saw it. Right in front of his non-existent eyes. And the tiny monster even trying to answer him. Was he taking him for a fool? 

Red was ready to fight. He would do it if it meant that it what was necessary to keep everyone else safe. Honestly, he was scared. Confused. And all of a sudden very sober. 

It would be a fight between right or wrong. Never before had a Sans fought another Sans. And now he was in this fucked up situation. Anger still raising, it was his magic that decided to take the next step. A sharp bone appeared in his right hand, pointing directly at the other. 

Red kept his focus on him, trying to read any reactions. The other skeleton was moving, slowly. Pulling out a dust-covered hand out of his pocket, he was ready to fight back. Red knew he was in trouble. He felt the weight on his own shoulders. He didn’t want to fight, not again. The air getting was thinner and the rain thinned out, becoming background noise. 

He noticed a small glimmer in the left eyesocket of his alternate, before it became dark again. 

It was like they were frozen in time. Everything happened so fast, but it seemed to be the longest moment he ever had to deal with. 

The hand of the small skeleton sank down. Hanging loose. He quickly decided to check his STATS again.. just realizing that the HP was going down... rapidly! 0.5... no... 0.4... wait... 0.2?!

His grip tightened around the bone in his hand. What on earth was going on here? How could the HoPe of this monster drop down so fast? Had his judgement failed him? Betrayed him? 

He lowered his hand, watching the other one close his eyesockets, while an artificial smile reappeared on his face, slowly turning into one of acceptance. 

Red was confused. He didn’t know what to do. He didn't have any kind of explanation for this situation. Minutes passed, until the other Sans looked up at him, nodding his head in silent agreement. 

Both hands were going up, slowly... as they started to move. *i’m ready, just end it already.* they signed. 

Red froze again. “y.. yer speaking ’n hands?” he blurted in his confusion, the small body suddenly started to shake. Until it finally gave in to the darkness and collapsed. 

Red had no other choice. The bone disappeared from his hand as he quickly caught the tiny skeleton before he fell to the ground unconscious. “fuck... hey... buddy... come on! stay with me!”

But the small body didn’t show any sign of a reaction. Red could barely feel the weight in his hands, the small monster was way to light, so easy to lift up. It was like he hasn’t eaten recently. This alternate of his was definitely different. Something was very wrong here...

He didn’t mean any harm, right? It looked like it was him who was in danger. The one who needed help. And Red, seems he got things wrong. But it wasn’t time to think about his own actions. He needed to get them both out of here, quickly!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know what you think ^.^


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a matter of <s>life</s> and death ♪♪♪

Dealing with anxiety wasn’t easy. Mix in being scared of socializing and it made everything a lot worse. Humans and monsters avoided Sopran whenever they saw the tiny skeleton. Either because of the rumours spread around or due to their gloomy appearance. Either way, there was no difference. The skeleton was scared to death. 

Maybe this was a reason why Sopran always decided to walk alone in the middle of the night. But today ended quite differently. A strange feeling had them a little alarmed of their surroundings, though they hadn’t been in any condition to notice that someone was coming closer. 

One thing led to another, and they bumped into the stranger. It was a shocking sensation, a shiver running down their bones as Sopran tried to focus on the world around them again. 

Their head was spinning, body shaking from the sudden contact they had made. It took the little one a moment to get things sorted out and to look up at the stranger they’ve run into. 

It seems like a miracle that they hadn’t fallen to the ground. Sopran took a deep breath as they froze on the spot. Empty sockets looking up at a much bigger skeleton monster. 

Red eyes, pure crimson, were staring at them. His face looking similar to theirs as they noticed the rough features on his bony face along with a huge scar around one eyesocket. 

The first thing they had in mind was that he definitely looked like one of Sopran’s alternates. They knew very well that they existed, but they’ve never met one in person. He wouldn’t let them...

This monster was a judge for sure. The way he looked at the smaller one, eyes darting over them like he wanted to strip of their very existence. It felt weird. His magic put a deep pressure on their shoulders, making it hard to read him. 

If only Sopran’s magic would work, it would be really helpful. They could’ve simply judged him to find out who he was for sure. 

Sopran knew the other one was a danger. The traces of dust and blood couldn’t be hidden anyway. Why on earth did this happen? Just know.. in a moment where they were not able to defend themselves. 

There was no way out of it. If Sopran would try to run it would be even more suspicious. Think Sopran! You have to focus, do something! Anything... 

But as soon as the other started talking, their mind went blank. What else could they do besides take a step back, try to avoid a fight which they definitely would lose? And would never want...

His voice was so deep and dark, making it impossible to breathe. He was around two heads bigger than Sopran. His whole figure was terrifying. He could easily smash them in a single hit. He probably didn’t even need magic. 

Even if Sopran wanted to answer, explain their situation, it wasn’t possible. It felt like time stood still, making it impossible for them to show any kind of reaction. 

What now? Sopran’s hands were shaking, clenched into fists in their pockets while they tried to avoid looking the other Sans directly in the eyes. He already made his opinion about them known. 

Maybe judging them by just... speaking those harsh words. He noticed already. That pressure of magic was a… check. Even worse, the smell of dust wasn’t something you could hide. And judges were meant to notice every single change in a monsters or humans emotions. 

Sopran tried to focus. They just needed their hands, they had to try and talk to him. He would understand. Right? Every monster would… wouldn’t they? But it was like the tiny body didn’t listen to them at all. Sopran would have screamed as loud as possible to move a single bone, but nothing happened. No voice. No movement. 

The tiny monster was scared. Again! Like always. Yet this time it was different. Sopran was hurt and beaten down so many times. Bones crushed, fractures covering their frail frame, their soul breaking. Yet for some reason, no one came close to kill them. A mercy some would think.

They wanted Sopran to suffer from their existence alone. They wanted to see them hurt, to break them. And on top of that, they were alone. No one was allowed to talk with the small skeleton. They were left to feel completely alone. No one there to take care of them. Or to help them. 

Maybe the time has come where all the bad things finally come to an end? 

Sopran never really thought about dying. They wanted to keep on living. They wanted to see Tenor again, just once. One last time, maybe give him a hug and say they don’t hate him. No. Sopran loves their brother, even after all the awful things he said. 

He was their little brother, always cheerful and happy. Tenors rejection of Sopran hurt so much. That last fight gave them the last crack in their soul that… Maybe Tenor was right? Maybe Sopran should finally give up? Give in to the darkness? 

Left alone with those cruel thoughts, it took Sopran a moment to realize that the other skeleton monster had taken action, summoning a bone and preparing his magic. 

It took them a blink of their eyesockets, they saw the bone and knew what he was up to. 

Finally, after a long time Sopran’s body started listening to them. Hand moving out of the pocket, the skeleton tried to focus. There must be something left inside them. A speck of hope? Life? Not everything was empty hopelessness, right? 

Up until this moment, the last remaining spark of magic inside them reacted. There was still some hope left in this world. Not everyone could hate them, avoid them. Not everyone wanted them to suffer.

It hurt so bad. All these feelings of fighting alone against an enemy they couldn’t defeat. No matter how strong their HoPe was, it started to shatter. 

Baritone was always right. Sopran was useless. Not worth living, not worth the air they were breathing or even sharing a room with their family. Tenor was a much better son, a better monster. Someone Sopran could never be. 

These wounds could never heal. Not alone. Their soul was already broken. And besides the little glimmer in Sopran’s eyelights showing a short burst of hope, it died a second ago, nothing was left. They let their guard down. 

No one would miss Sopran. No one ever cared about them. Their chest slowly moved up and down, not that they really had to breathe, and the monster started to feel all the weight falling off of them. Free.

An artificial smile appeared on Sopran’s face, their expression changing to one of resigned acceptance. 

They couldn’t describe what was going on inside their head. But they started to feel good again. Not sad nor hurt. No. It was like they truly accepted that all the pain could finally be over. There was nothing left.

No more getting up every day. No more people trying to hurt them. No more being scared that things could get worse. There was just a happy feeling that it would be over soon. 

Sopran was so tired of living. Nothing would change anyway. Tenor was safe and living a normal life. He would never miss them. He had someone he loved, his father was there for him. No need for this failure of a monster to stay. 

Sopran wasn’t worth it. But they still kept Tenor deep inside their soul. The warm feeling of them being siblings. Sharing beautiful and happy memories. If things had been different maybe they would still be part of his world. Maybe they all could’ve been a real loving family at some point. But for Sopran it felt like they should’ve never been born in the first place. 

If Tenor was there for them maybe Sopran could have let go of their fears. But the small skeleton was all alone. And now… finally... here was someone who would save them... who would end this misery. 

Sopran could never do it on their own. Maybe because it was scary to think of ending their life. But the stranger, no, the other Sans, he could do it. He was ready to fight and kill Sopran. 

And the skeleton just had to accept their fate. With their HP going down, until there was almost nothing left, they finally felt relieved. 

No need to worry about the next day. Or how they would handle the heavy weight of earning their first LVs. The guilt would have probably killed them anyway. So why not speed up the progress? 

What a happy thought, what a wonderful feeling. Finally letting go of all the pain. It felt like all the emotions were gone. Like they were muted. Now, Sopran’s voice would never be heard again. 

And that was for the best. No one would want to hear them sing anyway. Even if they wanted to feel that joy one last time, to feel their own magic, to be one with the world, feeling the sounds, vibrations and rhythm of the surface. 

It began to feel unimportant. But Sopran would hold onto the thoughts of the happy memories with Tenor. Their only remaining HoPe, fading. With him being their last thought, they found peace and happiness within themselves. 

Sopran took a deep breath, looking up at the bigger skeleton. It wasn’t hard to notice that he was confused. Maybe he was unsure if he judged them right? He shouldn’t worry about that. 

The only thing the small skeleton could do was nod. Show him that they weren’t scared and that it was welcome. That he would be the one doing the final move. 

*i’m ready, just end it already.* they signed. Since they lost their voice, hands was the only way Sopran could still speak. Without any hope left in their life, their voice was gone. Their magic disappeared.

But it was alright. It always was. They just accepted it once and for all. Maybe Sopran’s father would finally be happy and somehow proud that they finally stopped uselessly trying. 

Yeah, that was it. The relief from being freed of the burden they had to carry for so long flooded their being. It felt amazing, warm and welcoming as Sopran closed their eyes, giving in to the darkness they avoided for so long. 

It was too much to handle for the weak skeleton. Their body suddenly collapsed. But there was no regret. Not a single moment. Before their mind went blank, they thought of Tenor smiling at them, saying that he loved them no matter what everyone else said. 

The only thing Sopran ever wished for. To be accepted by Tenor. To be loved again... it felt wonderful. Just like the warmth they were getting closer to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the new chapter!  
I have to apologize that it took so long, but real life hit me so hard, I couldn't find time to keep on writing!  
But we are back on track! Unlike Sopran >.<


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When I am down, and, oh, my soul, so weary... <strike>You rise me up</strike> ♪♪♪

The neighbourhood stood quiet. As if Just like no one had noticed what was going on. Maybe it was the rain, the slight hint of an upcoming storm which scattered lead the humans and monsters to their homes, without around to not noticing any change. 

Or maybe it was the ignorance of those, who simply cared only for themselves only. It could be the reason why this tiny, fragile monster was hurt so badly. Why he gave up so fast without thinking. 

It felt like Red just misjudged everything. Like it was his fault for fucking things up so badly. 

He had to decide quickly. The life of his alternate depends on him. He knew that he didn’t understand know anything. How could he save someone so close to becoming dust in his own hands? What was his role in their faithful meeting? His silly bonehead was full of what if’s and when’s, searching for the all mighty answer to all the questions. 

Luckily he wasn’t stupid at all. He acted rationally, by taking off his jacket, covering the much smaller body with it and pressing him close, just to make sure the other skeleton was still breathing, or moving or whatever hell he’s his life depends on. 

Red moved fast, still being careful not to trip over and or hurt his alternate more than he already had. Honestly, he thought he had seen a lot of broken souls, but this one was at the top of that list. 

But he knew, there wasn’t much time left to figure out anything. He had to make sure that this Sans wouldn’t fall. That he had a chance to talk with him. To get answers. 

After a near-endless run straight home Red’s clothes were already soaked wet. The rain had gotten worse even as he hurried a lot more intense. As if things weren’t already messed up enough. Now that he couldn’t port back home, in fear of hurting the small monster in his arms, the weather was making a fool out of him too. 

The grumpy and now fully sober skeleton took a deep breath, looking up to the windows of his beloved home, just making sure Edge wasn’t awake. It was past his bad time and if luck was just a little bit on Red’s his side, he could make it into his own room without getting noticed.

He tried to grab his keys, opening up the front door while still holding the other one close. He could easily hold him with one arm, just like carrying around a tiny babybones. And again he started to worry. He was too light.

Red wasn’t ready to deal with another one dying. No matter if he knew who the other skeleton was or not. He wanted to help him, to give him a chance. Get him out of his misery. 

And by going up the stairs, closer to his room he could be sure that they were a little bit safer. 

But of course, it was naive to think his brother would be asleep. Red didn’t send him a message or call him like he normally did, to not make sure his brother wouldn’t be worried sick about him. 

At first, right after he opened and closed the door as quietly as possible, he got out of his shoes and was sneaking in wet socks through the hallway, thinking he might make it. But soon enough he heard the sound of the TV coming out of their living room. 

Red took a deep breath, feeling his alternate starting to shake a little bit. Reminding him of his mission and the danger the other one was in. While his HP stayed low, it stopped going down. For now. 

Red slowly walked past the door. His own room was so close. Just a few more steps. But a clear and angry huffing noise made him stop. Red knew his brother was standing behind him, right in the doorframe. Starring at him with his crimson red eyes and angry, or maybe a little bit worried, face. 

“Where Have You Been?” For a second Red clenched his teeth together, holding the other skeleton closer to his chest, away from his brother’s sight. 

“Did You Know How Long I’ve Been Waiting For Your Lazy Drunken Ass To Come Home?” Edge sounded really angry and pissed. He was so mad at him. Like really really mad. 

“‘m sorry boss.. but could we skip da argument for now. ‘ave to get out of ma wet clothes.” Without hesitation Red started moving again, pushing his door open and nearly slamming it behind him. 

“15 Minutes And Dinner Is Ready!” he heard Edge’s angry voice yelling after him. 

Red closed his eyes for a second, taking another deep breath before stepping deeper into his room. Using his elbow to push the switch for the light he just realized how lucky he was for not getting caught. 

Maybe it was wrong to not ask him for help in the first place. But how could he explain the situation and help the other Sans at the same time? Yelling would definitely be of no help. 

But for now, he carried the tiny Sans to his bed, slowly letting him down and taking off his wet jacket. The other one was still unconscious, but a quick check and he knew he was still alive, and dangerously close to falling. 

Red had to get out of his own wet clothes first. He didn’t want Edge to ask stupid questions or notice that something was wrong. He picked up one of his shirts, getting a dry one for his ‘guest’, and one of the towels he usually just let down on the floor after using them one time. 

Red had to be very careful. The hoodie his alternate was wearing felt heavy. The smell of dust and blood wasn’t as strong as before, the rain washed some of it off, but it was still noticeable. 

He lifted him up just a bit to get the hoodie off of him. Crimson eyes flew fast over the exposed bones. The tiny soul within his chest not shining as bright and beautiful as it should be. It made his own soul sink. 

It was really worrying to see that in the first place, but it wasn’t the end of it. His bones were pale, grey and full of scratches and bruises.. maybe a small fracture here and there. Somehow, Red was sure that this wasn’t the reason for the little one being so close to death. 

But it was still part of it. Just by touching him, feeling the frail bones underneath his huge hands he felt like the other one wasn’t real. Red tried to heal the most painful looking marks on his body. 

Maybe it would help to get his HP up to a point where he simply needed some food to feel better. Poor thing. He looked horrible. As his life was really tough. Red started to question why, since the surface became such a safe place for all monsterkind, was this one different. He kept in mind that he had to ask Sans and Alphys about new monsters appearing on the surface. If there were some new who haven’t been introduced yet. 

Red let out a sigh, grabbed the towel to clean the other a little bit and to try and get him as dry as possible without hurting him. He felt so cold, hopefully he wouldn’t get sick. Though it wouldn’t be a wonder after that rain outside. 

Shortly after he was done he used one of his shirts to get the smaller monster dressed up properly. It was way too big, almost looking like a dress on him. But still, he wasn’t done. Red managed to get him out of his shoes and pants. The bones looked as tiny and fragile as the rest of his body. Even the smallest alternate he knew looked much healthier than the monster in his bed right now. Red let his eyelights slowly move higher, as he tried to get him in a more comfortable position. 

Even being unconscious for a while, his alternate moved his head, letting out a nearly unnoticeable wimpher. Red tried to figure out if he had missed something, maybe the monster was hurt? What if Red just hasn’t noticed it yet? But after a short moment of checking him over, there was something that caught his eyes.

A hint of a soft blush appeared on Red’s cheekbones, as he tried to ignore what he had discovered. He decided to just not think about it too much. Maybe it was embarrassing for this Sans. But Red couldn’t resist temptation. His grin grew just a little bit, as his large hand reached out for the small bony tail wrapped around a thin femur, to save it from being crushed.

Without thinking Red grabbed the soft blanket and put it over his alternate, placing his big hand right on top his forehead. Still cold. No fever. But he knew it could be there sooner or later. The monsters HP didn’t offer any safety from illness that healthier monsters were usually resistant to. He decided to let his hand stay on the other’s skull to share some magic with this Sans and to try and get his HP up just a little bit. 

He wasn’t the best when it came to healing magic. But it should be enough to keep him alive. Maybe let him rest? He could stay alone for a short time, right? Red had to leave him alone. Just to get something to eat for himself and maybe sneak something in for tiny Sans if he was hungry after he wakes up.

Hopefully it won’t happen until Red returned. How scary would it be to wake up in a strange place like this, when your intentions where to die in right before passing out? Not even Red would enjoy waking up in a strangers bed. 

As he got ready to get up, he heard footsteps coming from the hallway. A little alarmed he got to his door in time, opened it up way too fast and nearly ran into his brother. Thankfully, Red was fast and smart enough to close the door behind him before Edge could take a peek inside. 

“Thought You Would Take Forever! Or Maybe Already Fall Asleep Like You Normally Do”, the younger skeleton growled, crossing his arms in front of his chest, looking down at Red like he knew his older brother was hiding something. 

“didn’t ya’ say food’s ready?” Red snapped back, just passing by his brother in the direction of their kitchen. The smell of freshly made lasagna caught him off-guard and made his non-existent stomach growl. 

Edge watched him with attentive eyes, not sure what his lazy brother was hiding. He was acting strangely, that’s for sure. But without any way for further investigation, he just followed Red into the kitchen, taking a place on their table while he kept starring at his brother with a deep frown. 

Red kept quiet, grabbing the dish his brother had made thankfully and prepared so well. Crimson eyes were rolling inside Edge’s eyesockets as he kept them trained on his unusually hungry brother. He rose his bony brows in disgust. 

“Sans! Manners! Please.”

“m’sry boss... ‘m really hungry”, Red said while stuffing another spoonful of lasagna into his mouth.

You could literally see an anger vein slowly building on Edge’s skull. Not that Red didn’t notice. He started sweating while eating like his life depended on it. Which wasn’t true, it was the tiny Sans’ life that was in danger. The main reason why he was so nervous in the first place. 

Seeing his brother eating slowly while keeping an eye on him, not a single word being said made it much worse. 

After eating half of his plate, Red decided to make the next move, quickly. “thanks for the meal.. but ‘m gonna eat the rest in my room...” 

“SANS!” The chubby skeleton froze thanks to the harsh tone of his brother’s voice. “Would You Mind Sitting Down, Eating Your Food And Telling Me What The Hell You Did?” wwd

Red gulped. Slowly moving and letting out a sigh. “nothin’ boss.. ’m just really tired!”

He knew Edge wouldn’t believe a single word he said. Fuck, even Red would be just as sceptical as Edge is being if he started acting strange. Ever since they came to the surface, they had to learn to open up themselves to each other. No more secrets, just the truth and a lot of trust between the two Underfell brothers. 

But for now Red couldn’t tell his brother about his tiny secret. About the broken skeleton he was hiding in his bedroom. Edge wouldn’t stay calm, that’s for sure. Or maybe Red misjudged again, since he wasn’t sure what was wrong or right at this point. 

After a few more moments of simply starring at each other, Red growled. “fine. had’n argument ya’ know. nothin’ ta worry ’bout!” Red can be a pretty bad liar. “i drank ta much, ‘m tired as fuck and wanna go to bed now”, the older skeleton said while looking away from his brother’s judgeful eyes while praying to fuck and back that his brother would just accept the lie. Sadly Red knew him to well. His brother was patient, slowly eating his lasagna and not looking up to him... 

“Fine”, suddenly the larger one said with a way too calm tune. “We Will Talk About It Tomorrow!” 

Hell. Red knew he would get into another argument with his brother. Unavoidable. He knew his once cute Edge better than everyone. And this was just the calm before the storm. 

But without hesitation, Red grabbed the dish with the rest of the lasagna, moving fast to the kitchen door, waving his brother a lazy goodnight, even while he knew Edge wasn’t satisfied with his reply... or his behaviour. 

But there wasn’t much time to think about it now. As soon as he returned to his room, he quietly opened and closed the door. Everything seemed normal at first look. But it felt different. He placed the dish on a counter, before walking back to his bed...

It was quiet. His soul felt like it would start skipping, but only started beating faster than before. He trained his crimson eyes towards the bed. The blanket was moved a bit. And the space was empty. But.. his alternate was unconscious? He was close to death... how did he manage to wake up? Maybe he turned into dust? What.. no.. please! 

Red’s hands were shaking as he picked up the blanket, moving it a little bit to check. He had to be sure. Relief flooded him when he realized there wasn’t any hint of dust. But still. He felt the panic rising again. The other monster would probably die without getting any help. He should have stayed with the small monster. He shouldn’t have left him alone and maybe, just maybe, he should have told Edge the truth... //think red.. think...//, he tried to calm himself down. If the unknown Sans teleported away, there would be some magic left... right? Red started shaking. His breath getting faster as he started to sweat, the guilt already crawling down his spine. 

Eyes flickering, he started growling, throwing away the blanket while letting out a loud “fuck!” as a result of feeling utterly guilty. Maybe this Sans was hiding? Maybe he just ran away... teleported... Red felt panic and anger rising while he started to looking around the bed, under the blanket, Desperately searching for his alternate in hope to find him still safe.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my nightmare ♪♪♪  
<strike>I think you're gonna like it</strike> ♪♪♪

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!! ♥＼(￣▽￣)／♥
> 
> We apologie for the long wait for this chapter, the break was caused by health reasons that will probably make the next few take a bit longer as well. But we are doing our best to get this story told :3

Darkness! Cold, welcoming and peaceful. It felt like nothing else mattered anymore. No feelings, no pain, only emptiness without getting hurt. Somehow Sopran asked themself if this is how it feels to be dead. Like a deep abyss swallowing your soul slowly, while your body was left floating in the void. 

What a relief for the tiny monster, who only knew the feeling of being terrified and scared. Not worth to keep on living like it was normal for everyone else. The wish of being close to Tenor again was gone in that moment. It felt so peaceful. 

While floating around, not aware of anything harmful, Sopran’s mind went blank. The silence felt so good. For the first time in years, the skeleton wasn't scared of what they left behind. No one would care that Sopran was gone. No. Baritone would be even happy that this failure of a child was dead. The shame of his family, a smear on his pride. Not worth carrying on the noble name of the Gaster family, no possibility to become a voice in the royal coir. 

For a moment, Sopran felt the guilt crawling up their spine. The darkness started to turn into a blurry shape of walls pressing down around them. The skeleton opened their eyes, turning around and slowly taking a step on the now existing floor. Sopran remembered they learned somewhere that if you die, you get to see things from your past. 

The room that appeared was way too familiar. A finger going slowly over the old wood of a cabinet. The smell of old times. And suddenly, there was another sound. As if something was accidentally knocked over and got broken. Sopran noticed two little skeletons running past. 

"shh.. tenor.. it's okay! stay here and hide!" 

"SOPRAN!" in a shock, both skeletons going by that name winced because of the harsh tone and angry voice that yelled at them. 

"B-But Sopran.. It Was My Fault!" 

The tiny skeleton smiled at his brother, gently stroking his cheek and getting up just to run back to the other room. 

//don't go...// 

They knew what was going to happen, and they didn’t want to see it, but the scene switched to the other room. Seeing Baritone again felt like a direct hit to their broken soul. He just grabbed the small child by it's tiny and fragile hand. Eyesockets going empty, as if the little one already knew what was going to happen. At that point in time, they did...

As the scenario switched again, Sopran stood right in front of a well known door. Whimpers, whining... the horrible noises... they began to echo in the dark hall behind them. Sopran closed their eyes, leaning against the door. Not able to do anything while listening to Baritones voice venomous over and over again! 

"You're a failure! You're not worth being born. I wish you were dead. You will never accomplish anything!" 

"i-i know..!" Sopran whispered. The scene became darker. Baritone’s voice louder as the small monster felt the weight of their father pushing against them. His hands felt so gross, touching their body... the only time they touched Sopran’s fragile bones softly Sopran couldn't bear the situation, but they had to. The small weak skeleton never had the choice. 

"I've told you many times.. stay away from my family!" His voice was close to Sopran’s head. "You're nothing more than a worthless bastard. An unwanted child. No one cares about you, no one knows about you. They all know you're mentally ill!" The lies and horrible truths spilled out of his mouth.

Sopran’s body slowly started shaking. Baritone’s hands went up their arms, getting closer to their shoulders. The touches felt as if they were burning their non-existent skin. 

"You never stood a chance against me. You know I'm pulling the strings. I know you better than anyone else in this world." 

His hands, first gently, making Sopran feel uncomfortable were now wrapped around their neck. The skeleton felt the pressure gradually increasing. It hurt. It wasn't like it was necessary for them to breath, but still, they could feel it. 

"No one will ever love you! No one will ever trust you. There's no place for you to run and hide."

The scene changed again. The smell of dust, blood and rain started to build up slowly. The tortures skeleton’s soul started to beat faster and faster. The ally was dark. But they could feel it.. 

"no.. please.. i.. i don't want to be here!" They tried talking, voice almost impossible to be heard.

"You killed someone." 

"no!.. it.. it was an accident!" 

Baritone chuckled in a deep tone. Sopran had to keep their mind together. Pictures flashed through their mind, while the skeleton started to struggle. Getting out of the grip holding them tight, they did what felt like the only way out of the situation. They bit into the hand, holding them. 

All of a sudden Sopran fell to the ground. "I swear I'll kill you right now!" No... not again. Suddenly a shot echoed through the alley. 

"FIONA!" 

Sopran could feel the guilt enveloping their soul again. The euphoric feeling, the emptiness, the pain. It mixed with the pain of losing Tenor. Minutes passed, the skeleton heard someone getting closer. 

"Sopran! What Have You Done?" 

The sudden realization of who the voice belonged to made Sopran look up in sheer terror. They looked up at the taller skeleton, with their eyelights almost completely gone. The tiny monster tried to open their mouth, but nothing came out. The voice was finally silenced. 

"I'm So Disappointed In You!" 

Fear started to grow in Sopran’s eyesockets. The skeleton tried to get back up on their feet. No. Tenor would never say such words. He would never leave them alone. 

"Father Was Right! I'm Glad You're Gone!" 

Sockets going empty, their beautiful blue eyelights extinguished. Sopran felt pain. Reaching out a hand to Tenor, unable to touch him. 

“Call me pathetic, crazy... That you hate me with all what’s left inside your weak body”, Baritone’s voice continued attacking. "But your pain isn’t over. Just do it! Try to wake up. As if a pathetic failure like you can even manage that...” 

Suddenly Sopran’s eyesockets snapped open, staring at a white ceiling. Their breathing was way too fast as they rushed to get up, feeling a bad headache mixed with the panic and stress. Hands shaking, breath close to hyperventilating the skeleton tried to regain some of their memories of the events before they passed out. 

There was this strange Judge, another Sans, an alternate of them. The cold rain, the tint of dust and blood... the terrible shooting sound, screams, tears... darkness... the pressure... losing HoPe and the horrifying rise of LV! Looking around in sheer panic Sopran noticed they never saw this place before. It wasn’t a dream. Everything actually happened! They were beginning for their life to be ended by the large skeleton they accidentally ran into. But now... he was gone and Sopran was in a strange room, that looked and smelled unfamiliar. Clothes gone, wearing a way too big shirt... what if Baritone found them? What if he was going to hurt Sopran again? 

There was a strange noise coming from the room’s door that made the skeleton move quickly. Way to fast. It sounded like a tiny creature from hell, followed by some scratching noises. No! Please... Sopran couldn't talk or use magic to get out of there. The skeleton saw a gap between the bed and the wall and quickly dove for ut. Small enough for them to slide in and hide. Knees pressed firmly to their chest, hands covering their head and eyesockets closed tight as they started to rock themself back and forth. Begging, pleading for Baritone not to find them…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Poor Sopran is having a hard time and it doesn't look like it will change soon >.>  
But you never know? Red might be able to help? If he can keep a cool head XD


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I panic in dreams from when I was still young ♪♪♪  
<s>Please don't turn on that light ♪♪♪</s>

Stay calm. Take a breath. Think! Maybe it wasn't the smartest move to freak out. From the moment Red first found his alternate, he was close to death. Weak, and probably unable to use magic. He clenched a fist in frustration. Pressed his sharp teeth together, making a gnashing sound. He had already seen too much. His temper close to breaking. But he tried to relax. Taking deep breaths in and out. 

Without magic, there couldn't be many places the tiny Sans could have gone to. But with him being so small it was easy to hide, right? There was still hope left since there was no dust to be found. Red started looking around. His soul beating faster. He had to keep a hold on with his own anxiety. 

But in a short moment of silence, of his panic lessening a little, there was a very tiny sound, a rattling, like something or someone was shaking. Red tried to focus on his surroundings. He was too scared to move, thinking it might make the sound stop. He waited, patiently, For another hint. And there, he heard the rattling again. It came from the small space between his bed and the wall. 

The large skeleton decided to hold his breath, taking a few slow and careful steps closer to the bed. Moving too fast could make the small monster panic, and he wanted to avoid that. If his guest started screaming Edge would definitely hear it. His brother would come barging into his room, seeing what Red had tried so desperately to hide. But it was too soon for him to get discovered by his brother. 

Red paused for a second. His hand slowly reaching for the crumpled up blanket, which looked as if it was hurriedly thrown into the crevice between his bed and the wall. He decided to move it away a little bit. He had never been this nervous in his whole life. But it was now or never. He pulled it out of the way, throwing it aside just to hear a tiny gasping sound coming from the crevice followed by a way more intense sound of bones rattling.

He spotted his alternate right were he suspected the little monster was hiding. Hands thrown above his head, knees close to the small body, bones shaking. Red tried to move his bed a little, so he could get closer to the other skeleton. It looks like he was scared. Maybe it was because he woke up in an unfamiliar room? Without having a clue what was going on...

Everything else happened so fast.

Red overdid it, tried too hard. Lost his focus. But as soon as his hand reached out to touch the scared monster, he stiffened. His weakened body moved, hand hitting against Red’s while nearly empty sockets stared at him, unseeing. His little guest tried to defend himself. tilting his head back and forth, hands pulled up in a defensive positon, as if to defend against someone tying to touch him. Mouth open, as if the little monster was trying to scream for help but there was no voice. Only an eerie silence. It was one of the worst panic attacks Red had ever seen.

"hey bud'.. hey! it's okay.. i'm not gonna hurt ya!" He tried desperately to reach out to the other Sans. But unfortunately for Red, him being so close talking and trying to touch the other wasn't the right way. The panic got worse. Fuck! Maybe hiding everything from Edge wasn't the best idea. Red wasn't a pro when it came to dealing with someone freaking out this much. The tiny body was so scarred and fragile, Red was afraid he would fall apart from his own movements. His hands started shaking, looking like he was trying to sign. But the only thing Red could catch in the mass of wild words were ‘don't’ and something like ‘i will be good’ and ‘no hurt’. 

What happened to this Sans that made him this scared? When he met him, the Sans looked like he had given up completely. Like he was ready to die? He almost begged to be killed before, eliminated from this world. And now he was sitting here, fighting for his life, begging to not be touched. Red didn’t know what to think at this point.

The only thing Red could think of was moving back. "Fine. shhhh. i won't come any closer t'ya. it’s ‘kay"

Slowly taking a few steps back, he took another deep calming breath. It was hard to think what to do. But maybe... there was still some lasagna placed on the counter. Red decided to try that. As quiet as possible, not making any sudden movements, knowing a single mistake could lead to the panic attack worsening. But if this Sans was in any way similar to himself, maybe food could help? Could be a dumb idea, sure. But anything he tries could be stupid.

Red lowered himself, sitting down on the floor at the end of the bed, far enough that the tiny one could see him but too far for Red to be able to reach him. He placed the plate on the floor, his phalanges slowly pushing it forward. When the plate was as far as Red’s arm could stretch, he backed off and remained sitting there, watching.

"there's food for' ya... lasagna... maybe yer hungry?" he said in a soft tone. The other skeleton was still shaking, but his hands had finally stopped signing desperately. He was just whipping tears from empty sockets staring at the ground. Hands still shaking, Red noticed that the other Sans wanted to speak, but he simply couldn't. He must be so scared, maybe hurt, definitely traumatized. If he wouldn’t calm down enough to eat, maybe Red should go and get Edge to help out?

It felt like forever. Just the two of them sitting here. The air felt heavy, thick. But after a while, the shaking become less noticeable. Red saw the other moving his head, his sockets focusing on the offered plate. As if his alternate finally noticed the food. If a single spark of survival was left, he would eat the food. It would go a long way in helping him get some HP back, maybe not much but enough for him to live. That's all that mattered at this point. 

Red tried to be patient. Even if it was hard. But he did. He ketp sitting there, unmoving. Giving his alternate all the space he needed. And well... the panic seemed to get finally lessen. The tiny skeleton started moving, slowly reaching out for the plate. It wasn't Red’s place to judge his actions, but as soon as the little one got his phalanges on the food, feeling it over for a moment, he started digging into it, shoveling it fast into his mouth. Red lifted a boney brow, watching this Sans in amusement, while staying aware of his desperate craving for food. He must be starved to death, if you could say that about a skeleton. But every monster needs food to build their magic. To stay healthy and alive. But still, the other was eating like it was the finest (and maybe only) food he had in weeks. Not giving a single fuck about anything. 

He ate so fast. Sockets nearly filled with tears, as if it was painful to eat. Maybe it was because eating meant he would live, when he tried to die only a few hours ago? For Red, it didn’t matter. He wanted to try and help him. To show him that this world was worth living. And to learn more about this mystery Sans...

Minutes later, the plate was empty. Not a single piece of food left. His alternate took a deep breath. His body finally stopped trembling. His head moved up again looking at Red, there were tiny sparkling blue eyelights looking at him. Red froze. It was the first time he saw the other Sans’ eyelights. They looked like clear blue water, with sunlight sparkles dancing on the surface. Beautiful, he thought. He wanted to say something, anything, but he couldn't find the words.

It was his alternate that found the words, his hands signing a small 'thanks..', just seconds before the sockets turned empty again, slowly closing as it seemed like he was falling unconscious again.

"wha.. hey..!" Red said, springing in motion and trying to reach the tiny skeleton before he fell to the ground. Succeeding, Red noticed that his body was so light, the bones... "hot?" He could feel it from that simple touch. His bones were burning up from the inside. Red picked up the unconscious body, slowly placing him back on the bed, then touched his forehead. He had a fever. Fuck. Why? Why didn’t he notice before? The cold outside, the rain... all the stress. Maybe the little monster was hallucinating thanks to the fever? 

Red felt his own hands shaking a little. He wasn't sure what to do next. Dealing with anxiety, panic attacks... and now a fever. None of this was easy. He felt helpless. Restless... scared? His phalanges slowly touched the other’s head again, feeling the heated bones underneath it. Poor thing, he was so small. For a moment he thought about Edge as a baby bones. When he was sick. It wasn't easy to deal with a sick monster. He knew that for sure. But if one thing was certain, he won't leave his side. Stay with him... until his little guest woke up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :D
> 
> Red is trying his best, but that doesn't mean he won't make mistakes... and this isn't the first nor the last one :(
> 
> Let's just hope he can get Sopran back on their feet! ;3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> <s>We can't go on together ♪♪♪</s>  
With suspicious minds ♪♪♪

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edge is... on edge because of Red's behaviour and Red knows it XD

Suspicious!

It wasn't like Edge didn't trust his brother, but seeing him acting strange, out of his ordinary behaviour patterns left the younger skeleton tossing and turning, spending the whole night thinking. They agreed to never have any secrets. The surface was safe, true, but they still only had each other to depend on. And starting a new life wasn't easy at all. There was only one rule! One teeny tiny agreement. No secrets.

And the knowledge that Red was trying to hide something from him (again) pissed him royaly off. It felt like a rollercoaster of emotions was raging in his soul. Anger was the first and foremost amongst them. Why was Red always so damn stubborn? Not that the same couldn’t be said about Edge too, but that's not the case right now.

What a lazy excuse that he drank too much and got tired. Yeah, right!

It only took him a moment to realize that his brother was acting nervous. He couldn't find the right words, he ate too fast and also... there were little droplets of sweat on his head. Again, suspicious. 

Sadness followed after the anger abated. Wasn't he good enough or even worth it to Red to talk with him about what was on his mind? After all they had gone through? Didn't Red trust him anymore? Stupid thoughts, of course. Edge had screamed into his pillow after hours of failing to fall asleep, until the point when he started feeling guilty. Maybe he interpreted it wrong? Maybe he was too sensitive and still not used to being safe. Maybe he was just overthinking the whole thing… again. If Red had a problem, or had gotten himself into something bad he would talk to Edge. Right? Right. Edge managed to calm himself down just a little. His body was so done with everything that it was easy for his tired mind to fall asleep at least for a couple of hours. 

The sun rising, together with the chirping sound of birds in front of his window and the annoying sound of his alarm clock greeted Edge far too early. Feeling grumpy with a slight hint of a headache. If Red wouldn't talk with him, he would force him to talk after work. Edge used his newly built confidence to push himself and get out of bed. He was used to following a strict morning routine. It included a few exercises, taking a shower, getting dressed and preparing breakfast before leaving for work. At first, at the very start of their new lives on the surface, the brothers ate before work. But Red was always so hard to wake up, making them late almost every morning. But Edge figured out a brilliant master plan on how to fix this. He let Red sleep as long as possible, and they ate the breakfast Edge prepared at work. Very easy and very effective. But still, as he was going through his routine, he wasn't sure what to think of Reds behavior. The younger skeleton was worried.

Of course Edge wasn't good at showing his feelings either, but he tried. There was no other way to handle all the new things around them. It was easier to open up instead of closing his soul off and locking everyone out. He had to learn that the hard way. Observing his alternates also helped in this. They took things way more happilly and cheerfully. But… Red should be doing the same. So why is he hiding again?

A short growl escaped him, while he let his eyes role in his sockets. All the thinking made him pissed off again, close to forgetting the time and that they had to go to work soon. After finishing their lunchboxes, Edge gently placed them on the table. It was time to wake up his lazy ass brother. He probably ignored his own alarm, again, still sleeping and snoring away. Like always.

Edge growled again, just in time as he reached his brothers door. He knocked. Not trying to be careful at all, banging away like he was close to smashing the door. "SANS! It's Time To Get Your Lazy Ass Out Of Bed! We Are Going To Be Late For Work!" he reached for the door handle, trying to open the door. But, it was locked?!

Eyesockets wide open, the tall monster tried again. This was a joke, right? Red never locked his door, not even back in their original universe. Edge had all rights to doubt his brother noe, to be suspicious of his recent behaviour after all. He became more aggressive as he tried to force the door open. Another heavy knock followed. "SANS! Open THE DOOR! NOW!"

\-------

The night wasn't easy on Red’s side either. After sitting next to his smaller alternate for hours, he eventually fell fitfully asleep, his head lolling forward and waking him up again and again. The tiny monster was still sleeping soundly, obviously dealing with the fever, dreams and whatever bothered the broken monster. But Red had to rest. If he doesn't want his brother to find out about his little secret, seeing the lazy skeleton utterly tired in the morning is a big no. He had to sleep. It took him a while, but his decision was clear. Red won't leave him. He knew the other was scared, and it could be risky sleeping next to him, but there was still plenty of space between them. The bed was huge, so he decided to move the other Sans to one side of the, carefully, and claimed the other side of his bed for himself.

This way, there was no way for the tiny skeleton to run. Red pushing the bed against the wall after he put the monster in, as well as his condition not being the best made sure that he couldn't hide again, and he definitely couldn’t fight against Red. And to be honest, thanks to their own cruel world back underground, the bigger skeleton was used to staying alert while sleeping. His phalanges rested on the arm of his alternate. Feeling every movement and the heat rising would be enough to let him know if something was happening.

It was no wonder that he fell asleep shortly after. The whole day was a shock for him too, draining all his energy and raising his anxiety to the maximum. But for now, the other Sans was safe. And if they were lucky, maybe the food will help him heal and fight the fever. If not, Red would buy some medicine tomorrow.

The rest of the night was quiet. Giving him the sorely needed opportunity to gain back some energy. He didn't move at all, nor did his alternate, sleeping deeply completely still on the other half of his bed. But all good things come to an end. The sound of loud banging on his door forced Red to wake up, making him sit up straight in his bed and stare at the door, his mind trying to catch up. He heard his brother’s loud voice yelling for him to get up, making him panic, nearly falling out of his bed while he tried to reach for the door. Fuck! Did he lock the door? What if Edge came in and saw the other skeleton sleeping in his bed? How the fuck would he explain that?

Red noticed the door handle moving, but the door was still closed. His brother, knocking again, this time more aggressively, tried to get in one more time. The anxious skeleton reached the door just in time, the wood couldn’t stand up to Edge for long. He unlocked the door quickly and opened up just a little bit, peeking out right into Edges angry face. 

"Sans! What The Hell Are You Doing? What's Wrong? Speak!" The older brother had to come up with an excuse quickly, otherwise Edge would come into his room and... think!!! Come one. 

"'m sorry boss.. yer not making dis easy fer me." he let out a deep yawn, rubbing his sockets and coughing a little, faking a sore throat. Red eyelights glared at him as if Edge wasn’t taking him seriously at all. "i... think o caught a cold. coughing 'n shit... didn't wanna make ya worry 'bout me."

You could literally see Edge getting more and more angry with every word Red said. "You Know I Love You Brother. But I Know When You Are Lying!" he spat out, turning himself around and stomped off into the bathroom, returning with two small boxes. "If You Are Having One Of Your Drunken Headaches, Take The Pills And Get Ready For Work!" 

"b.. but.. paps.. come on i-"

"NO EXCUSES! I Will Give You Five Minutes! And Be Sure, We Are Going To Talk About This Later."

Fuck. Red really wished he could've avoided an argument with his younger brother, but there was no way he could get around it when Edge was in this kind of mood. Red closed the door, nodding in silent agreement with his brother. He took a deep breath before walking back to his bed were his alternate was still sleeping. If he had told Edge before, they would probably take a day off, maybe see a doctor and help his new... well, he couldn't say friend, but what else should he call the tiny skeleton? Guest? Unwilling guest? For now, he was a Sans. Hopefully he got to know his name soon. It would be awful to keep on calling him buddy, pall or sans. It just didn't feel right...

But none of that was an option. He couldn’t show this Sans to his brother, not the way he looked when Red found him. His brother was sometimes more paranoid than Red, which kept them alive many times in their underground. But Red didn’t want to risk it here. Something told him this Sans wasn’t a threat, despite the blood and dust.

Red couldn't deny that he was worried about leaving the hurt monster alone. He sat on the bed and placed his hand on the forehead of the little skeleton. The fever was still there, but not as strong as before. It seems the the food did work and the monster was safe for now. A quick check proved his thoughts to be right. For now, he wouldn't dust. Maybe he would sleep through the next few hours, and Red would be back from work before he woke up.

A monsters body was very unstable when they got sick, making it hard to heal on its own. Sometimes they share magic with a close relative or partner to get better again. It was unusual for the grumpy looking skeleton to even contemplate doing something like that. He had helped Papyrus in the past, when he was a babybones and had a fever after playing too long outside in the snow. Since no one could see him, Red’s let his expression turn soft and worried, as he gently brushed over the other Sans’ cheekbones. To be honest, it felt strange. Different from anything he experienced before. And it could be some sort of hallucination, but he was sure that the other one was leaning a little bit into his touch.

"yer goin' to be okay. i promise", Red whispered softly, keeping a warm smile on his face. 

He decided to place the medication next to his companion, so he would notice them if he woke up. It wasn’t fever medicine, but the pain medication will probably help. Maybe he wasn't as desperate to die as before and he would simply take the pills to help deal with the pain.Red paused for a second, enjoying the moment they he was sharing with the unknowing monster, before he moved his hand away and got his lazy self to get up from the bed. There wasn't much time left for a normal morning routine. But enough to get a new shirt. He grabbed his jacket and left the room, quietly closed the door behind him, before he made his way into the kitchen.

Edge was waiting for him, still looking angry. What a wonderful start of the morning. Thankfully they didn't have the talk now. Red because he wanted to avoid something slipping unintentionally while he was so tired, and Edge probably because he wanted to be on time, He also wanted to let Red stew in the knowledge the talk is coming, Red was sure of it. Both skeletons got their food, before leaving their home. The door closed and the sound of the key being turned around in the lock was the last thing to be heard before the house went completely quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! :3
> 
> Edge and Red really need to have a talk before something bad happens >.>
> 
> To clear some stuff up, since we still don't know a lot about these UF brothers, the reason why Red didn't just tell Edge about Sopran is because he knows his brother still has some issues he's dealing with. While the UF brothers were in their underground they had to be extremely careful (especially with then very Red's low HP) and it made Edge very paranoid and distrustful of others. So what Red was scared of here was that Edge would see the blood and dust on Sopran, see that they have LV and would make Red "kick them out", or well take them to the "guard" (i.e. police). And Red wasn't sure the little monster would survive that given their first encounter and how ready they were to let Red kill them :/
> 
> That and Red was still a bit drunk and drunk people aren't the best thinkers XD
> 
> The reason may seem dumb, but Red isn't the smartest skeleton when it comes to this stuff, and his tendency to hide is an old habit he's still trying to break. Just like Edge with the paranoia. They are a lot better then when they surfaced, but old wounds leave permanent scars and they will probably never be completely free of some of that :(


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pussy cat, pussy cat, ♪♪♪  
<s>Where have you been? ♪♪♪</s>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sopran meets one of the house owners... will this end well? :/

All Sopran could remember was a long-forgotten feeling of warmth. But now, it was there. Undoubtedly. A strange sensation going deep into their tiny body. It almost felt like someone was gently touching them. Not enough to get fully noticed, but enough for Sopran’s body and soul to feel at peace. It felt safe. Something the skeleton hadn't felt in a long time. The touch was warm, welcoming. Like it wanted to tell them know that everything will be okay. 

Being deeply asleep the monster’s soul still tried to remember what happened before Sopran collapsed last time. The nightmare was brutal, draining the last slivers of energy out of their hurt body. Thinking about Baritone, remembering the past was to much for the skeleton to deal with. Even if part of Sopran’s mind knew that he wasn't there, that he was long gone, it felt so real. The nasty touches, the vile voice. Blaming everything on their very existence. No one cared about Sopran, a lost Sans on this cruel surface, which only treated them like the dirtiest scum in the entire world. And now they started believing that too. 

Sopran could still smell the blood and dust. But, thankfully, the rush in their magic that getting the LV brought was finally over. Getting sick after everything they went through was expected, it was the best the fragile body could do instead of dusting. But did they deserve such mercy?

The other Sans, the one they saw on the street, the one they begged to let them die and the one they saw in the strange room, didn't seem to want them any harm. Sopran’s soul was sure of that, despite the pain and panic that surrounded their two brief encounters. A monster’s soul could remember a lot being significantly more sensitive when a monster was hurt and in pain. 

When Sopran panicked, the bigger Sans instantly took a step back. He didn't try to touch him. He was just sitting there, offering food and quietly watching. How could a stranger be so kind? How could he offer them food after Sopran begged him for death? That couldn't be. No one could be that friendly without wanting something in return. But at some point, a moment of peace, Sopran managed to get out of the panic, taking a clear look into the other skeletons red eyelights and thanked him for being there. 

Hopefully, he wasn't as scary as they thought after all. He was just different from everyone Sopran had seen before. He was huge. Much bigger in size, chubbier. A bit grumpy and evil looking but with hidden soft features. Never judge a book by its cover. The bigger monster did care, right? He was there when Sopran fell unconscious again. And for some unknown reason, the bigger monster felt… safe? Warm? Different to…  _ him. _ But, in a way, similar to Tenor. 

The other Sans didn’t hold Sopran close for long, but he wasn't gone. He stayed by Sopran’s side, watching over them. Sopran’s soul knew, it could feel the strange red magic. But it was too shy to send out a signal to the bigger skeletons soul. Like the bigger one would have wanted to get close to such a faded and broken soul. I was small, nearly devoid of the beautiful color it originally shone with. And too broken to have any control over the little magic it still held. So it kept quiet, quietly enjoying the others company. 

Someone seeing them interact could possibly say it was due to the fever. But for Sopran, being touched, feeling another monster being gentle and not trying to hurt them was a memory from long long ago. Almost completely forgotten. Even after sleep replaces unconsciousness, the other skeleton’s touch on their cheekbone that made Sopran feel like everything would be okay. Secretly, almost unconsciously, they wished for him to stay. Despite not knowing anything about him, the touch was something so deeply desired that Sopran would take the risk of getting closer to the offered warmth, touch and body. He was strong, he could protect them if they proved to be of value. His scary appearance was something Sopran found useful. But would the other skeleton find them to be of use? Or would he throw them away when he learned just how broken and useless they really are?

As the foreign magic disappeared, they fell back into a dreamless sleep that lasted barely a couple of hours before their broken body started moving. The bed felt so soft and warm. The smell that saturated it was a little bit strange. It got stronger as they turned around to the other side, shifting themselves deeper into the blankets and pillows. A hint of mustard, sweat... and there were undertones of a strong male scent. Stupid thought. But it was true. 

Sopran opened both sockets, small blue eyelights trying to get used to the light shining through the window. Every bone hurt. And they quickly became aware of running a fever. As numb as their limbs felt, it was no wonder that it took Sopran some time before the skeleton felt ready to try and sit up. As they stretched a little, the way too big shirt fell off of one shoulder, nearly exposing their clavicle and ribs. Sopran felt a blush rushing onto their cheekbones. Those weren't their clothes. It was a simple big shirt... something like his alternate would wear?

As their feverish mind caught up with what their eyelights were seeing, Sopran’s face burned, turning even darker than before. The other skeleton must have gotten rid of their wet clothes, changing them and... seeing them naked. There was no time to think over if something like that was right or not. Of course, the other Sans had to change their clothes. Besides, he was a skeleton as well and would probably not care about seeing another skeleton naked. No more thinking about it. No! 

As Sopran moved their hand, they could feel something laying on the bed. A quick look and they noticed the medication, almost carelessly left next to them. Well, it seems like the big Sans... cared about them? A tiny smile slowly built upon their tired-looking face. After all this time, someone wanted to help... right?

The room was empty and it felt like the rest of the house was quiet as well. Maybe he was gone? Getting food or maybe he left for work. Even if Sopran was still not used to the surface, they knew what a normal life would be, they learned some things after they were kicked out to the streets. After taking a few deep breaths, the hurt skeleton tried getting out of bed. 

The fever was still there, making them a little dizzy. But as soon as Sopran managed to sit up at the edge of the bed it was fine. They took a little time to study the room around them. The room was big, there wasn’t much furniture, and what was there was very simple. There were a few small piles of laundry lying around on the ground. They noticed the empty plate from the food they ate last night. Food. Their non-existent stomach let out a growl, making the skeleton blush again. They were really hungry. Maybe this time their alternate didn't lock the door... there was only one way to find out. 

As their feet touched the ground Sopran’s body felt a little shaky. But taking a few steps helped make them feel a little better. Slow and steady. It was strange to not be wearing anything besides a shirt, even if it could almost be a dress with how big it was. It was a little bit embarrassing, but no one else would see them. And they were way too curious now to stop. Sopran reached the door and hopefully pulled the handle. It opened! Heck yeah, it did. The little monster felt happy and relieved at the same time. Not being trapped or locked in felt nice and meant they were allowed to move around. Right?

Behind the door was a hallway, a huge door at the end and four other doors, three of them were open. The door next to the one Sopran was looking out of was closed. Sopran wouldn't take a risk to peek inside. Instead, they decided to take a slow walk down the hallway, peeking into the first open room where they discovered it was a bathroom. It looked very clean. The curious skeleton decided to go inside there first. They took two pills out of the box and put them aside, then got some water and drank them both at once. If they wanted to feel better, medicine was necessary. And since they knew how huge their alternate was, maybe it would be impossible to reach a glass when they eventually found the kitchen. 

To be honest, it felt a little wrong to walk around in a stranger’s house without him being there. Sopran felt horribly out of place here. Everything that was left in their life was surviving on the edge of existence. No one would believe all the places where the little skeleton had to find shelter. This home felt almost like a noble residence. And they only saw the bath and one bedroom. As they explored the bathroom more, focusing on every tiny detail they could see without touching anything, they noticed that everything looked as if it was set up for two monsters to live there. 

Sopran couldn’t be sure as there could be endless possibilities who shared a place with his alternate. A friend? Another monster, a human... maybe his brother? Sopran let out a sigh, remembering the time when Tenor was still around more often. Even then they would never be as close to him as they wished to. But that doesn't matter now. Tenor had his own life, he probably already forgot about Sopran. It hurt. But now there was something besides the pain. A tiny sliver of hope. It seemed like the journey wasn't over for the tiny skeleton. Someone cared.

Sopran left the room and walked along the hallway. The next thing they found was the kitchen. And as expected, the counter was way too high for them to reach anything. Not without a lot of effort. Magic wasn't an option and their body felt too weak to climb up on a chair. Besides that, everything seemed pretty normal for a kitchen. Everything was also cleaned spotless, with only a view leftovers left in the sink. But what really caught their attention was the fridge. Sopran wasn't sure if they should look inside or not. But the hunger was a strong incentive, and if they wanted to get better they needed food. Since his alternate had offered them some last night, he wouldn't mind right? After opening the door, Sopran was overwhelmed by the amount of food inside. It looked like someone living here enjoyed cooking, but at the same time there was a lot of unhealthy stuff in there. Like a huge chocolate pudding. It looked sooo good. And it wouldn't require them to cook or prepare anything. Without hesitation they took the container, then closed the fridge and put the pudding on the table. 

Because they had been hungry for so long, everything felt like it was a dinner fit for a king. With the quest for a spoon successfully completed, the tiny skeleton climbed on a chair, hunger giving them a boost of strength, and they dug into the creamy goodness. It was so delicious. Their round blue eyelights turned into tiny stars. Sopran felt happy and decided to eat as slowly as possible to completely enjoy every bit of the food until the end. At least, for now, the dark thoughts were gone. The emptiness temporarily forgotten. They felt safe enough to eat and weren’t scared of being hunted, hurt or worse. 

Unfortunately for the small monster, the peace didn’t last long.

Time seemed to pass slowly as Sopran enjoyed the marvellous pudding, when suddenly there was someone quietly approaching. Unnoticed because they didn’t make the slightest sound. With the skill of a deadly hunter, known for moving around unnoticed until the right time came. It happened so fast, with a little noise the silent hunter with brown glaring eyes jumped right on the table, stretching it’s fluffy body and letting out a yawning meow. Sopran was so focused on the meal they only noticed the creature when it was already there. A silent scream was all that came out of Sopran’s mouth as they jumped way too fast out of the chair knocking the pudding to the ground.

It was a cat. Obviously. But how did one of those wild feral creatures enter this place? It tried to attack the little monster and now... it was just sitting there? It kept looking at Sopran and then suddenly started licking a paw and cleaning it's head. Sopran kept a wary distance between them. Of course they knew this was a cat, they fought a lot of them for the scraps from the dumpsters, but unlike the ones they knew this one looked clean, healthy and wasn’t as aggressive. And it looked like it was wearing a collar. Similar to the dogs who had owners the little skeleton used to see while out on the streets. But cats were different, right? Who could tame such a wild animal? But the recent curiosity was still strong and Sopran came closer to the table. The cat, named Doomfanger - as could be read on the collar - stopped their cleaning, lifted themself up and moved closer to Sopran. Then they started meowing again.

Great. The meowing scared the skittish skeleton again, making them flee from the kitchen, while the cat kept watching nonchalantly. Sopran carefully avoided getting any closer and made their way into the living room. It didn't seem like this creature meant any harm, but it was better to be careful. 

Maybe it was scared too?

Sopran felt soft carpet underneath their feet as they entered the new room. The newfound room was spacious and very comfortable looking. It matched the rest of the clean household. The smell that washed over them was nice and fresh and the skeleton noticed a very high window standing open. It was too small and high up for anyone to climb through it, but maybe the cat used it as an entrance? Sopran was lost in thought for a few moments, unaware of the cat getting closer until it was brushing against their legs. 

Another silent shriek followed as Sopran lost their balance and fell to the ground. The grounded skeleton let out a small panicky sigh as the cat continued to come closer. Sopran noticed that the cat looked… friendly, or at least wasn’t acting anywhere near as feral as the cats they knew. When it was close enough, small phalanges reached out towards the soft fur, touching the cats back. It was so fluffy the little skeleton froze for a moment, until the cat arched their back against Sopran’s hand. That made the skeleton smile. They never had a chance to pet a cat. But as soon as the cat started vibrating Sopran was left shocked. Was it sick? Did they hurt them? But as nothing bad seemed to happen, Sopran relaxed. Maybe it was some sort of reaction to being touched? Weird fluffy creature. 

After a short while of petting the cat's fur, Sopran relaxed and let their guard down. They laid down on the floor while still enjoying the company of this strange cat named Doomfanger. They really liked to be pet. The sound it was making was getting louder and eventually, it laid down next to Sopran. The cat was so soft and warm. Staying here with it made the skeleton feel even more welcome than before. It didn't take long for the medication and food to kick in, doing it's wonderful magic, as the skeletons eyesockets gently drifted closed and Sopran fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! :D
> 
> Doomfanger was very surprised to find an intruder in his house but it seems the smol skele grew on him very fast :3  
Sopran is very lucky that Doomfanger liked them, otherwise that would have been a scratching memory XD
> 
> Sopran's fear of Doomfanger is caused mostly because the only other cats the little one met were feral and wild strays that didn't like the little monster "stealing" their food. So they were mostly hissy and tried to chase Sopran away ;w;
> 
> But now Sopran has a fluffy snuggle buddy :D  
Though it might not have been a great idea to fall asleep there >.>


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We lied to each other so much♪♪♪  
<strike>That in nothing we trust ♪♪♪</strike>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red and Edge get home and... it goes... well? >.>

Minutes passed by slowly turning into hours. Honestly, it was one of the worst days Red ever had. Constantly being watched by his brother while trying to avoid any and all conversation about… the guest. He couldn't blame Edge for wanting to interrogate him at all. It was Red’s own fault for not telling him the truth right from the start. Maybe it would have made things easier. But he decided to go another way, against all sense and without thinking about it. But come on! It was in the middle of the night. He was drunk. Half out of his mind when he met this strange Sans. He couldn't think rationally then, even if now he did slowly realize that he made a mistake. Then again, looking back you always have 2020 vision… heh. And it wasn't easy for him to deflect his younger brother, especially with Edge being so tired and still nagging him ALL DAY! 

Red was exhausted. Worried. He didn't know if the Sans was fine. If the fever returned or had gotten worse. Or if he dusted... no! That wasn't an option at all. He won’t even think of that. The Sans would be okay. But even if time usually flies by fast when he’s working, today it felt like an energy devouring eternity. There was no way for him to focus on anything. Not really. It was more like he just did what he had to. But his thoughts were at home... and on the talk he couldn't avoid any longer as soon as they arrived back home. 

Red stayed silent for the entire time it took them to drive home. He tried to figure out what he would say, what he would do. But there wasn't a good way to let the cat out of the bag. Things were already done and decided. And he had to face his brother and tell him the truth no matter how much he wanted to avoid the conversation. There was still the promise they made. No secrets. Ever again. 

But he broke that promise by hiding someone who was in trouble. Hurt, sick... and broken. The only good thing was, that this Sans ate some food, got some rest and looked like he was sleeping well. Maybe he just slept through the day and there was nothing to worry about. Red never felt this bad in his life, which was strange given his history. If he wasn't drunk, if he wasn't there... the Sans could have... thankfully their karma made their paths cross. Now it was just a question if karma was a bitch again or not...

And now, with the work part of the day passing by and them arriving home, Red knew there was no chance to run away. He could feel Edge’s angry glare drilling a hole in his skull as he trailed behind him. Strong steps, a little bit nervous. Red was sure Edge was about to burst. Not that he had a short temper, but if something was bothering the taller skeleton, he could turn into a real pest. 

Red was a bit different. Sometimes he just needed some time to fix and focus his thoughts, putting them together like pieces of a puzzle. It wasn't as bad as it was when they still lived in their underground, but truthfully said, it was the first time he made his bro worried and pissed at the same time and he was having a hard time keeping his calm over that. Red tried to calm himself down by taking a few deep breaths before he opened the front door. 

It was quiet. Nothing in sight. So his hopes that the tiny skeleton was still asleep were high. It would make things so much easier for him to handle. The option with less stress for everyone, especially his guest since he could warn them about what he wants to do. As he stepped forward, Edge followed him, gritting his teeth as he closed the door behind them. It didn't take long for the thick silence to be broken by Edge. 

“SANS! TELL ME WHAT YOU’RE HIDING! YOU SAID YOU'D TELL ME WHEN WE GET HOME. WE ARE HOME! AND I HAVE HAD ENOUGH! NOW SPEAK!" Red couldn't blame him at all for bursting into a rage all of a sudden since Red did keep quiet the whole day, avoiding giving out any information. And now... well... he let out a long sigh, closing his sockets for a second and rubbing between his eyesockets.

"yea, yea. hold yer horses bro. 'm gonna go get 'em. but don't freak out". Easier said than done, that’s for sure. Red could feel his brother’s temper rising. He had really pissed him off this time. Edge wasn't stupid. So of course, he picked up on the most important part of the sentence. 

"THEM? THEM WHO?? WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO SANS?" he yelled at Red, clenching his fists. The situation was really fucked up. But what both skeletons didn't notice was that the yelling did a lot more than they expected would happen. 

There was still an exhausted and tired skeleton sleeping on the floor in the living room, hidden out of sight from the doorway thanks to a comfortable looking armchair. Next to them was a curled up Doomfanger, protecting his new friend. But the yelling turned out to be loud enough to wake up Sopran like one of their horrible nightmares usually did. The yelling wasn’t surprising, they woke up to it more often than not, so the little skeleton did what they knew best, Sopran hid to stay out of the way. Curling up on themself to make themselves as small as possible so as not to be discovered by the angry monster screaming so nearby. 

Sopran couldn't stand being yelled at. Not at all. It often led to hurt, to being beaten up... or worse. It was lucky if it ended with only a punch or two. But now, there was nowhere to run. Sopran’s body was still too weak from the fever. The only thing the little monster could do was wish for the punishment to be over soon. Sopran noticed that one of the voices was that of their saviour. It sounded so similar to their own (while it was still there) tired, exhausted, distressed. 

The same thing woke up Doomfanger. Warning bells ringing inside the cat’s mind. Cats were sensitive to emotions, violent situations. And right now the only thing Doomfanger wanted was to protect what he thought was his. The little monster he was peacefully cuddling with a moment ago... 

Red let out a tired sigh as he started to move towards his room, not even answering his brother’s question. Tensions were high and none of the sides had it easy. One was frustrated and confused, unsure of what was happening. The other was resigned to their fate and dreading what is going to happen when their secret comes out. And the third was frightened out of their mind and unable to act. It was no wonder that something unexpected happened so fast. Doomfanger rushed out from behind the armchair, meowing and walking towards Red as his closest source of the commotion, making the bigger monster nearly stumble over his feet and kiss the floor. 

"woah! dammit! wha's..", but before he could get his bearings back, he heard a sharp intake of breath. Quickly turning back to his brother he saw Edge silently staring at the spot from where Doomfanger ran out off before. "boss? ya ‘kay?" Red reached out to him trying to shake him out of whatever was making him look speechless, staring into the room like he saw a ghost or... 

The realization hit Red hard. With Doomfanger running out from his hiding stop to stand close to Red, there was only one possibility. Red slowly leaned forward just enough to be able to peek into the room.

Sopran, now fully awake and aware, was confronted with dark crimson eyelights and a familiar but still very different looking face. The tall skeleton that was glaring at them looked so scary. The tiny monster never heard Tenor yell or scream. Not like that. It left them scared and wanting to hide even more. He was so huge, scary looking, all edges and pointy sharp teeth and claws. The small skeleton tried to get up, back on their feet but ended up stumbling and desperately scooting back into a corner behind the couch. They had to hide from him. 

But the sudden meeting wasn't only a big shock for Sopran. As soon as Doomfanger left the room, Edge was confronted with the smallest and tiniest version of a skeleton monster he had ever seen. Scared, nearly empty sockets were staring at him like a deer caught in headlights. There were no words to describe how Edge felt at that moment. He was still angry, yet felt confused and unsure how the hell he managed to scare the defenceless looking monster. His confusion only grew when he saw they were wearing one of his brothers’ shirts... so many questions popped up in his skull. But before he could react in any way, the tiny skeleton used his confusion to run and hide. 

Edge growled, turning towards his brother right and pointing to the kitchen. 

"Sans. Kitchen. Immediately!" he lowered his voice and moved towards the kitchen. Red automatically started trailing after him, but stopped himself. . He hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. He knew Edge would only get angrier if he didn’t listen but he had to check on the other Sans. He had to know if they were okay.

The other one who stayed in the living room was Doomfanger, quietly searching for Sopran, meowing with a soft voice when he found the hidden skeleton. Quickly, to avoid keeping Edge waiting, Red went to the corner Doomfanger was meowing in. 

“shoo, ya darn cat.” Red whispered at Doomfanger trying to get him to move. Doomfanger just turned on him and hissed, his hackles raised. “darn mangy...” Red grumbled the rest under his breath, not wanting to scare Sopran. Before he could grab the cat he saw tiny hands wrap around Doomfanger’s belly and pull him into the corner. Red blinked in surprise and for a moment he was scared the darn feral thing would lash out at the small monster. Instead, the cat just snuggled up and started purring, sounding like an old broken engine. Red couldn’t believe his eyelights. Whenever he went to grab the angry cat he got hissed at and scratched.

“heh, seems ya were tamed ya mangy cat.” He said sounding surprised and amused. Doomfanger just glared at him, but didn’t stop the purring.

“SANS!!!” A growling yell came from the kitchen. Looks like time was up and he needed to go deal with his brother. With another look at the small monster, Red gave out a sigh and left towards the kitchen. The other him will be okay for a few minutes with the feline keeping him safe.

The moment Red entered the kitchen Edge glared at him pointing a finger at a seemingly random spot on the floor. Red glanced towards it and caught the spilt pudding and spoon. The spill left a mess all over the floor. Red snapped his head back towards his brother just to catch the yelled out “SANS! WHY THE HELL IS THERE A MESS IN THE-” 

“shhhh!” Before Edge could finish his rant Red cut in, his voice low as he looked towards the door. “don’ yell, yer gonna scare him. i’ll clean it up, just don’ yell. ‘Kay?”

Edge raised a browbone at the idea of his brother actually  _ cleaning, _ but relented with a “Fine, brother. But You Still Need To Explain Yourself. And Him.”

Edge watched Red clean up, arms crossed and foot tapping away in annoyance. As Red was finishing up, Edge started walking up and down in the kitchen, growling something under his breath before he turned around looking right into his brother’s face. 

“done.” Red sighed knowing what was coming. Edge’s patience finally snapped as he tried and failed to calm his anger. 

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!" His voice was getting loud again. "SPEAK UP AND EXPLAIN YOURSELF. WHY IS THERE ANOTHER YOU IN OUR LIVING ROOM?" He finished in a yell, but it was filled with confusion and… worry? Red was sure he could hear worry in his brother’s voice. It made him feel even worse for hiding.

"stop yellin' boss! i know i fucked up", guilt was slowly crawling up his spine as he took a seat, looking exhausted. He was getting really worried about his guest, they looked very scared. But he knew he first had to calm Edge down. 

"AND?"

"i found 'em... can't tell who he is or where he came from", Red tried to explain, without really satisfying his brother. "i dunno his name. he collapsed, 'kay? there was no other option den ta take 'm here".

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? SINCE WHEN DO YOU PICK UP STRANGERS WITHOUT TELLING ME?” Edge’s sockets narrowed, his voice growing darker, “Am I A Joke To You?"

"paps... it's not like I didn't wanna tell yer... it's a lot more complicated!" And it was. Edge stood there and listened to his brother’s story of how he met his alternate, why he did what he did and why he didn’t want to tell him in the first place.

"now ya know..." Red ended his story, looking down and feeling the sweet relief of telling everything Edge. It wasn't easy for him to find the right words, afraid of pissing Edge even more off. But Red now could feel his brother was calmer than before. "couldn't just leave 'em there. dey were fallin' an'. it's the reason why i brought dem here. couldn' tell ya cause of da... dust and blood."

"I See", Edge finally spoke up making Red flinch. He took a deep breath and added "So, For Now, We Should Let Him Stay With Us. I Am Not Sure That I Like The Thought. But Until We Can Figure Out Who He Is And What REALLY Happened", another sigh followed. "It’s Better He Stays With Us!" Edge wasn't the kind of monster to easily trust strangers. But, even if he would never admit it, he had a kind centre in his soul. And seeing this tiny monster so scared of him was enough to melt the ice at first sight. In an effort to hide this he finished with “If They Stay, We Can Bring Them To The Guard When We Know What They Did.” 

“heh, yea sure bro. he can stay.” Red grinned to himself, making sure his brother didn’t see it. He knew Edge, and he knew that look in the other’s eyelights. Edge was definitely still mad at Red for lying and hiding, but he wouldn’t take it out on their guest.

While the argument was going on in the kitchen, Sopran was still hiding. The panic slowly faded away as they petted Doomfanger. The cat was a true hero and much better company than anyone in their past. The tiny skeleton faintly smiled as they moved their phalanges under the chin of the fluffy creature. It was still doing that weird intense vibrating sound, but it felt good. The faraway voices in the kitchen couldn't reach the skeleton for now, since Sopran sunk into their own little world. Still trying to figure out how to handle the alternate version of Tenor. They should've known. If there was a Sans, there had to be a Papyrus. 

Sopran just wished they all had a better start. Red was so kind to them. Even after all the tiny skeleton made him go through, he really tried to help. And it wasn't him who fucked up. Sopran should have stayed in Red’s room and slept. Maybe things would've gone in another direction. But it was too late to go back now, only to walk forward. It took Sopran a lot of strength, they didn't really have, to get themself to move out of the corner. Doomfanger slowly moving, stretching on all fours and walking towards the kitchen door. Like he was telling Sopran to follow. As long as neither of the other skeletons would start yelling again, Sopran could try to open up a little bit, right? They can show the two brothers that they won’t be a burden to them. 

A soft meow echoed in their direction, finally making Sopran step forward. They peeked around the corner into the kitchen. Sopran’s first point of interest was the other Papyrus, now looking much more relaxed and less scary. The tiny one could hear them still talking to each other, but they caught only the last part: "he can stay." 

Sopran took a deep breath, taking the last few steps through the hallway and into the doorframe of the kitchen. There was another meowing noise, followed by Doomfanger moving around Sopran’s legs and darting between the brothers. The tiny skeleton felt bad for interrupting the conversation, but was thankful that the small cat got the attention of the other Sans and Papyrus on him.

It took them a moment to notice the little intruder and they were both caught by surprise. Neither expected the scared monster to go to them. Red wanted to instantly get up and go to Sopran, but he knew what could happen if he scared him again.

"yer up... are ya doing better?" Red asked, making sure his words were calm and wouldn’t force any pressure on him. Sopran nodded, tugging a little bit at the fabric of the shirt while inspecting Edge.

"I'm Sorry For Yelling Earlier. I Did Not Mean To Scare You!" Sopran smiled weakly and slowly nodded to show it was okay. Nothing to worry about at the moment. "I Am Edge. And You Already Know My Lazy Brother, Red. Knowing Him, He Didn’t Even Introduce Himself.” Red growled and shook his head, crossing his arms before his chest.

"yea, yea we get it. yer better at small talk an’ shit", Red answered sarcastically, making Sopran let out a tiny snicker as they took another step into the kitchen. At the moment, they felt safer than a few minutes ago. 

The small hands let go of the fabric and finally started to sign. *Sopran,* they shakily signed. *That's my name.*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :D
> 
> Red and Edge finally have a name to go with their mystery guest. Not it's a question if they know who Sopran is or not? :/  
And Edge needs to make up to the smol bean for yelling and scaring them >.>  
But at least Doomfanger was there to keep them safe (≧◡≦)♥


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now I cannot speak, I lost my voice ♪♪♪  
<strike>I'm speechless and redundant ♪♪♪</strike>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some proper fresh food! What could go wrong with that, right? 8D

It's been a long long time since Sopran told another monster their name. Of course, the tiny monster was still a Sans, but unlike the other Universes, monsters from theirs had a first and middle name - one of them always carrying a musical theme, something that reflected their very souls. The reminder of what they lost, that came with sharing that name, left a painful pinch in their chest. Old memories of times when the skeleton was able to communicate with more than just words, spoken or signed. Once when their middle name meant something.

For monsters from the small skeletons universe magic was an essential part of communication. It sang through their words and gestures, expressing their emotions and intent to the ones they were speaking with. For those that were lucky enough to be born with a voice, magic sang through every word and every sound, carrying their intent, bringing happiness and joy to others or great pain and fear. And those monsters that didn’t have their own voices, born without the ability to produce them, their magic and song flowed through 'HaNdS', a monster sign language that was different to the human one, yet every monster knew it by heart no matter the universe.

The song that every monster’s voice carried was one of the reasons Tenor was so loved and why his concerts were always sold out. His songs and voice were infused with love and trust in others, with the belief that everyone can be good, can be better, if they just tried. With joy and love for the world that is rarely seen in any monster old enough to know how the world works.

Yet now, Sopran’s magic was… gone. Their voice silenced. Even their 'HaNdS' didn’t sing their intent or need anymore. They were mute in all ways that mattered… 

Would the two monsters they gave their name to even understand them? No one did until now… or maybe no one cared to try.

At the start, Sopran wasn't sure if their alternate could understand, but he... Red, right? He did. And it seems the same goes for his brother. It was strange, but they didn’t want to question that little bit of luck that seemed to shine on them.

The two brothers stared at them for a while, waiting for something. The rest of Sopran’s name probably, but Sopran didn’t continue. They couldn’t give them one, not now, not after...

"Well, Sopran. How About Dinner? Are You Hungry?" Edge tried to break the heavy silence followed after the small monster gave them a name to work with. Again the only thing Sopran did was nod in agreement. 

Up to this point, the tiny skeleton had no other option but to accept the offered kindness and food for as long as it would last. It was hard to trust the rough-looking monsters, but what choice did they have? And it was terrifying. If the two brothers knew the truth about them, if they got to know Sopran better… they didn’t want to think about the consequences creeping darkly in the back of their skull in that awful voice. On top of that, with the fever still plaguing their tiny body, there was no point in fighting against odds right now. Acceptance was easier than even thinking of any sort of rebellion. They learned that many times over.

As part of accepting their situation, Sopran took a seat on the ground. The reason for that was quite simple, Doomfanger. The cat was really nice company to have. Besides that, animals don’t lie, they show their emotions outright, they never give a word of contradiction. And this cat was happy to be pet and get the little monster’s attention. For Sopran it came as a welcome distraction to relax a bit, while trying to stay aware of the other two monster’s presence in the room. The tiny skeleton was afraid the silence or their actions felt awkward for Red and Edge, but they were still running a fever so they didn’t have enough energy to try and mend it. Usually, they would have been a lot warier, their whole life they were thought that others would use them, hurt them, that no one would ever love and care for them because of what they are. But they were too tired to care right now. Their life ended in that alley anyway, so why care now?

Sopran silently watched Edge out of the corner one eyesocket. It seemed like he was contemplating what to make for dinner. While Red just sat in a chair, calm and somehow radiating laziness. It looked nice, but it was never an option for the small skeleton to laze around like that. This wasn't their home, only a temporary shelter at best.

Doomfanger, after a long and arduous search for the perfect spot to lay down on, decided to take a nap on Sopran’s lap distracting the skeleton as he started vibrating again. It was so cute and funny. As their phalanges stroked through the soft fur, Sopran looked up, directing their tired gaze at Red. It was strange to get a better look at him like this. He was huge compared to Sopran, strong and scary. He also seemed to have a soft side, which Sopran got to know before and hoped would last a bit longer, at least until their fever subsided. Suddenly red eyelights met blue ones and Red smiled. 

"are ya feelin’ better now? how's yer fever?" He gently asked.

*I'm fine* Sopran signed as a short reply, followed quickly with *still a little fever.* There was no use in lying, getting caught would probably lead to a harsh punishment.

"could get ya some meds if you need 'em?" Red offered but Sopran hesitated for a second. They wouldn't drug them, not after offering some painkillers in the first place, right? And maybe a little boost could help them get better quicker.

A simple signed *okay* was the only reply they gave. 

“‘kay. i’ll give ya some before bed.” Red decided, making Sopran relax a little.

"Not A Monster Of Many Words, Huh?" Edge interjected while facing in Sopran’s direction.

A tiny nod made in his direction, sockets facing their lap, was the only confirmation Edge got as Sopran continued petting Doomfanger. Every word could be used against them, especially now that it was so muted and hollow, now that it didn’t carry any of their intent. They had to be careful of what they say to Red and Edge. Maybe it wasn't fair for Sopran to stay quiet like this, but it was a simple self-defence tactic that worked well enough over the years.

"how long has it been since ya got up to the surface?" Red asked, making Sopran jump. There were a few moments where Sopran sat there frozen, no reply coming. Just as Red was about to ask something else, Sopran’s hands flew through the air.

*Don't know, can't remember.* And it was the bitter truth. Sopran had no clue how long they've been up here, on this weird surface world. Their first moment of seeing the surface was brief and darkened too quickly to really enjoy it. They knew that everyone else always seemed so happy and relieved to live under the sun, they saw it the few times Baritone left the room unlocked, but for Sopran, everything was the same as before.

Head facing down, small phalanges buried deep into the soft fur, Sopran tried their best to stay calm. Seeing the other skeletons so relaxed felt... wrong. Even if the tiny monster couldn't describe where this feeling came from. Maybe it was their own fear and anxiety over not knowing the rules of these two monsters. After all, Sopran was a stranger. They knew nearly nothing about the brothers. It wasn't the first time the skeleton wished to disappear, run away from these heavy feelings. But there was no point in running away. The fever was still there and their body was too weak to survive a night outside. They needed to stay for at least a day so the fever has time to go down, hopefully, the two brothers will let them. If their kindness lasts maybe Sopran can even enjoy the warmth of being inside again a little. 

For now, it seemed like both monsters gave up on asking any more questions, but Red kept discretely observing Sopran. Not that they didn’t notice. Edge continued to prepare the food and with every passing second, the smell of a freshly cooked meal got more intense. If it was as good as the lasagna, Sopran couldn't wait to eat it. Edge seemed to be the one in charge of cooking here, another strange difference. But unlike Sopran, he looked like he enjoyed it. At least as far as the skeleton could discern out by watching the other work without being too obvious. From time to time the brothers talked, but nothing said caught Sopran’s interest. It was better not to get too comfortable anyway. If they had to run leave again, it would be easier if they didn’t know the monsters well.

While musing about their options, Sopran lost track of time, until the sound of dishes being placed on the table shook them out of their thoughts. 

"Food Is Ready!" Edge said, shortly after he moved a chair and took a seat. Red leaned over the table, probably to fill his plate. But... Sopran stayed put on the floor, not even a twitch of movement to be seen. The smell was so nice, their hunger intense, but Sopran was struggling over what to do now. If one of the skeletons was kind enough to give them a plate to eat on the floor, that would be great. Or maybe they will be able to eat on the table when the other two finished? Those were the rules before and they can’t be that different here, right? 

It took a few moments of quietness until Sopran noticed Edge leaning over the table, looking down at them. 

"Don't You Want To Eat?" Edge asked, one browbone raised as he watched the unmoving monster.

"yea buddy, c'mon and sit with us." Red added, joining his brother in staring at Sopran.

Eyesockets widening, Sopran hesitated. Eat? With them? On the same table? At the same time? That was... weird. But it was a clear message, and Sopran would never dare to not follow their rules? A few seconds later, Sopran managed to gently push Doomfanger away and got up. They moved like a tiny frightened animal, shoulders hunched down, head bent low, trying to seem even smaller than usual. What if they were testing them? Trying to see if Sopran knows their place? But it wouldn’t be good to disobey a rule. So for now, they took a seat on the free chair between the two of them. 

"See? It's Okay. You Don't Have To Be Nervous!" Edge tried to ease the frightened monster, his browbones twitching as he forced himself not to frown. 

*thanks* Sopran singed, watching Edge fill a plate and slowly move it in their direction. The food looked amazing. Sopran couldn't figure out what it was, something they have never seen or eaten before. There was pasta, some sort of vegetables and small slices of meat. 

"Eat As Much As You Like." Edge said as he gently placed the plate in front of Sopran. 

Sopran could only give a shaky smile and a nod, before they took a fork and took a bite, enjoying the warm and home-made meal. While everyone was eating, the conversation quieted down. It was for the best. Sopran felt safer without being asked questions they didn’t want to answer.

"Well, Since We're Done With Dinner...", Edge started to talk in a softer voice as he started gathering empty plates. "I Know You Don't Like To Talk Much. But May I Ask You Something?" 

Sopran flinched, surprised by the question, they quickly put down the glass of juice Red gave them sometime during the dinner. Their hands fidgeted, waiting and dreading what Edge wanted from them.

*.. sure?* They hesitantly signed when they noticed Edge kept waiting for a reply. 

"As Far As My Brother Told Me, You Were All By Yourself. Is There Maybe Someone We Can Call? So They Can Come Take You Home?" The moment the words left Edge’s mouth Sopran froze. 

Did they want to bring them home? They wouldn’t keep them? They wouldn’t let Sopan stay? Various memories flooded the small monster’s mind with threats promises of what would happen if someone caught them and took them. But these monsters have been nothing but kind until now. Was that only because they wanted to know if someone would come looking for Sopran? Would they change once they knew? That there was no one who would come? Who would care? That they are living in a-

“hey! bud, calm down.” Red’s voice broke into Sopran’s mind, stopped it from spiralling down the rabbit hole of bad memories and even worse fears.

Sopran looked up at Red, eyelights faded, and gulped, quickly looking back down. W-what do they say? They can’t lie. If they are caught lying, the other’s kindness would snap in an instant and they would be punished… again. They couldn’t take the punishment right now, not while sick, not after… what happened before they met Red.

Hands shaking hard they decided to try a half-truth, answering with *n-no one to c-call.*

The shaken monster chanced a look up, trying to see if the two brothers believed them, then quickly shifted their eyelights back down at their lap. What they saw confused them. Red and Edge looked… sad? Worried? But that wasn’t right? Why would they react like that? Did they catch the lie? Stars please no, please let them believe it, please just this once-

“Okay. Then We Can Bring You Home.” Edge finally broke the silence, making Sopran let out a tiny relieved sigh. “But Not Today. It Is Late And You Are Still Sick. We Will Bring You Home Tomorrow.”

Those words made sweat break out on Sopran’s head. Now they will definitely be caught in the lie. But at least not today. Maybe they will be able to think of something for tomorrow, and at least they are safe for today.

Sopran was startled out of their thoughts by Edge pulling back his chair and getting up, taking the dishes to the sink. The small skeleton stumbled to get up and help clean up, but Edge just shook his head and took their dish. Sopran was left standing, unsure what to do with themselves. A quick glance at Red, who was staring at them with sockets narrowed, made them look down, awkwardly twisting their shirt.

"guess it's enough for today.” Red mumbled out, making Sopran flinch in surprise. “what about a good old movie night? no more questions, just a bit of relaxin’?"

Sopran nodded in reply, trying to calm down from the quiet panic attack. It was hard to deal with so many panic attacks in such a short time. Keeping as calm as possible was the most important right now, so they will stay on the other’s good side. So they would stay safe. They knew it wasn't good to stay here for longer than it will take to recover, but if they wanted to survive back outside it was necessary that the fever goes down and that the stress of getting a LV fades enough so it will be possible to hide it.

The tired monster knew there was no possibility of a full recovery from that. From any of it. The nightmares would return, along with the anxiety and panic and will probably result in more loss of their HP. It was a harsh truth they would need to learn to live with. Deep inside, Sopran knew about all the consequences, bending their shoulders under a heavy burden. Tons of 'if’s' and 'when’s' plaguing their mind, questions without answers. And the biggest one was: why did they still have any HoPe left?

The questions echoed in their skull, seemingly far away, but still too close for comfort. Sopran decided they just needed to act normal, functional.

With a tiny sigh, Sopran let relief wash over them, knowing that they won't have to answer any more questions for now. And the thought of having a movie night time was… new and excitingly scary. They never had one, not as far as they could remember. Well, maybe that one time with Tenor, when he dragged Sopran to show his first performance ever. Did that count?

They were so lost in memories that they didn’t even notice walking back into the living room and finding Doomfanger stretched out on the floor. Sopran watched Edge and Red carefully, determinedly avoiding any eye contact. Red took a seat on the couch, while Edge got the remote as they discussed what to watch, what their “guest” would like. It was almost like they really did care? 

Sopran decided standing in the door would be considered as ignoring the others, so they came closer and sat on the floor next to the couch, close to the cat. The cat would not be mad at Sopran for taking up space, maybe it will even come up to their lap and warm them again. The floor felt cold on their feverish bones.

Then suddenly, before they could even think, someone grabbed them below the arms. The small monster’s mouth opened in a silent scream as they felt strong hands picking them up, only to let them down on the couch seconds after. 

"ya hate being touched, noted.” Red’s gruff voice growled above their head, or at least that’s how it sounded to the frightened monster who could barely recognize it as words. “but no more sittin’ on the floor. yer still sick, got it?" 

Sopran didn't move a single inch. The soft fabric felt so... different than the carpet. Sitting there between the two other skeletons wasn't okay. Not at all. But there was no escape. They simply went rigid and froze as if moving would be a crime. They stared, with blank sockets, at their own hands that were clenched in shaky fists on their knees. Not again. They could feel panic rising again. They couldn’t do this again. They had to stop. Stop. Stop-

Sopran heard the brothers talking, but the sound was so far away. Muffled. Useless. They were nothing but a useless monster. They couldn’t figure out what was being said over the buzzing in their skull. They had to do something. Refusing to reply will be bad. It will get them punished. In a panic, they slowly raised their hands and started a constant stream of signing *sorry, sorry, sorry…* 

Suddenly there was a hand on Sopran’s shoulder, making them jump, grabbing them and twisting them around to look in Edge’s direction. 

"What The Hell Is Wrong With You?!" Edge asked, his voice frustrated, making Sopran stop all movement.

"boss, stop it!" Red quickly spoke up as he shot forward and grabbed his brother’s wrist.

"No! Just Look At Him! There's Something Wrong! And I Want You To Speak And Explain!" There was no reaction on Sopran’s side. Just a terrified, defeated, empty face staring back at him. "Why? Why Are You Acting Like That?"

"boss.. calm down!" Red tried to pull his brother’s hands away, looking down at the small monster, brow furrowing in worry.

*I-I’ll be good.* Sopran shakily signed. *I-I’m sorry. I’ll be g-good. I won’t-won’t do it again. I won’t. Please don’t. Please, I’ll be good. I’ll do what you say. Please. Please. Please...* They repeated over and over again as a tear rolled down the pale cheeks. 

The two brothers, confused at this reaction, could only stare at each other in shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot. A lot could go wrong with all of that D8
> 
> This many panic attacks can't be good, especially not over such unimportant things... though to Sopran they don't seem to be even close to unimportant. Question is... why? ;^;
> 
> But at least the UF bros are noticing something is very wrong. Sopran is slowly but surely making them both extremely worried and it looks like they can't even do much to understand why everything is happening since questions freak Sopran out so strongly :(
> 
> Hopefully, they won't just bring the smol monster "home" and will get them to open up before something bad happens >.>


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've got another plan, this time it'll work ♪♪♪  
<strike>Or I'll be struck down, struck down</strike> ♪♪♪

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red and Edge decide to find out what they can about Sopran. Will they find anything useful out? :/

What a fucked up situation this was. It felt like one of those quests you had to do in a video game, connecting bits and pieces, obtaining and observing with only finding small hints which initially lead to more confusion. Like you were the main character, thrown right into the story without knowing who you are and what you're looking for or at. Sopran was a mystery. No satisfying answers or hints were given so far. Instead of 'telling' them the truth, he kept 'quiet'. Well unfortunately in more ways than one. The only thing Red knew for sure was that Sopran was a Sans. An alternate. A judge. But never before had he met one like this. 

The little monster was acting like he never truly lived or experienced a normal daily routine. Why the heck was he so easy to scare? Leading to one panic attack after another. It looked like this alternate thought he was now allowed to sit with others at a table, to eat together or even worse there was this strange and horrible reaction simply from sitting him up on the couch. It doesn't make any sense at all. Where was the missing key?

There must be a way to find an answer. Or maybe not. At least not from Sopran. Red wasn't sure if asking about it would give him any answers at all. He was scared that he might have already gotten himself and his brother into something they shouldn't have messed with. Like opening a can of worms without any intent to do so. 

Dammit. 

How should he know what's wrong or right? He already made his decision by not killing Sopran in that horrible moment they met. He wanted to help, though he had no idea why? Maybe because Sopran reminded him of something. The tiny Sans was so close to falling and turning into dust. As close as Red had been a few times in his miserable life. Red wasn’t a good person, hell he was horrible most of his life but… he could never let that happen. He knew what it was like to live through horrible trauma. And just how difficult it is to get out of it. He had his fair share of that. Not without help of course. And now it was his time to give back. Help in return to the help he was gifted with. 

But how?

While he was thinking and trying to figure out a way to help Sopran out of the current panic attack (he only knew touching was out of the question), he didn't notice a short hissing sound. It hadn’t come from Doomfanger, but it caught the cats attention. Red looked up, facing in his brother's direction. Edge was holding one finger up to his teeth, a signal to keep quiet as he pointed between them. Sopran’s head leaned against Red’s arm. So light, that he hadn’t even noticed. Sockets closed, the tiny monster had fallen asleep. Maybe too exhausted from all the panicking he went through during the day. Red nodded, he wouldn’t want to wake the monster up to another potential panic attack. But they both knew it wasn't the best idea to let Sopran sleep like this, it wasn’t comfortable and the tiny monster was still sick. He needed to sleep in a bed. Red could probably move Sopran to his room without waking him if he was really passed out from exhaustion.

"gimme a hand 'ere," Red whispered, making his brother move Sopran away from his arm so Red could easily lift himself up. Not a second later, he picked up Sopran who didn’t make the tiniest movement or let out a sound. 

"Need Some Help?" Edge asked, lifting up from the couch.

"no. ya know i can handle him. he's not the first bone i had to pick." Red joked and Edge just rolled his eyes in reply. "psspp... cat get yer ass up!" 

With a soft purring sound Doomfanger followed the two monsters out of the living room. 

Red decided to let Sopran sleep in his bed one more night, instead of using the guest room. It was already set up for sleep and the tiny monster knew this room already, so he wouldn't be scared when he woke up. Doomfanger found a spot right next to Sopran, curling his body close next to the unconscious monster.

"take care of him bud," Red whispered, after petting the cats head. 

Now, back to the unsolved mystery. Even just looking at Sopran felt wrong. He was so small. So fragile. Broken and lost. Red had to do something. But it wasn't only on him to decide what to do next. 

Edge was waiting for him in the living room. He had switched the TV to one of those stupid human shows Red had no intent on figuring out what it was about. But as long as his brother enjoyed himself he wouldn’t complain. They had a serious talk to get through anyway. 

Red let himself down on the couch, huffing and stretching all his limbs away from his body. He felt exhausted. It felt like today had lasted a month.

"I Don't Get It," Edge blasted out seconds before he turned off the TV. 

"me neither." Red sighed out.

"So What? You Brought Him Home And You Don't Have The Slightest Clue About Who He Is Or Why He Is Like… That." Damn. Red knew his brother too well, he knew Edge was shaking, if only a tiny bit. His voice kept switching in pitch. He was worried and out of ideas. Same as Red. 

"so what? should i have thrown 'im out?" Red tiredly asked, voice low.

"NO! No... Sans... That's Not What I meant." Silence... 

"What If We Ask - I Hate To Admit - Your Lazy Alternate For Help?" Edge asked, not looking at Red.

"ya mean... sans?" Red asked in surprise.

"Of Course I Do! Dammit! You Know How Much I Hate All Those Name and Nickname Shenanigans And Whatever." Edges hissed. 

"right right, calm down!" Red sat straighter, lowering his arm on his legs. 

"We Have To Try. Our Information Is Limited. And It Seems Sopran Won't Talk About Himself To Us." Edge got up from the couch, looking down to his brother. "Make Your Call! So Will I." 

Red snickered. "yer calling...?" 

"The Only Other Lazy Skeleton We Both Know. Stretch Is The Only One I Know That Hangs Out With A Ton Of Other Weird Alternates. Don't Say Anything. We Met Back Here When We're done." Edge half growled out, obviously mad he’ll have to talk to the lazy version of himself.

"sure.. boss!" Red teased as his brother left to make the call.

Still a mess. Red knew the only chance they had to figure anything out right now was by asking others for help, and Sans was the best option they had. He knew way more monsters than anyone else. Since this was his universe (the reason why the lucky bastard got to keep his name) he met every single monster as they came to the surface. It was a good thing honestly, since he helped them settle in, get used to the unknown and  judged them made sure that everyone got registered, which was useful in case there was a need to get information on any of the emerged monsters. 

It wasn't that late, and if he was still the same lazy skeleton Red met, he should be awake. Red took a deep breath. Luckily his phone was close by, on the table, so he only needed to make a quick call, simple right? Wasn't that easy?

He wasn’t sure if he would like what he might find out, so he couldn’t make himself pick up his phone.

Minutes passed. Red kept staring at his phone before he finally reached out, grabbed it and opened his contacts to make the call. 

First there was nothing. Only the dial tone, then the phone made the connection. It was free. One, two... three... click. 

"i hope you have a good excuse to call me?" Came the tired voice from the other side.

"is this how ya greet an old friend?" Red grumbled, but he could hear Sans laughing on the other side.

"just kidding. what's up big red? got yourself into trouble again?" Sans sounded a lot calmer than the question warranted.

"yea... kind off?" Red sighed, leaning back on the couch and closing his sockets. 

"... you sound way too serious?" Red could practically hear Sans’ browbone raising at Red words. 

"found myself a stray."

"and?"

"ya won't believe me, but it’s not a pet or somethin'. it's... well…  _ he's _ a monster. a skeleton. and what exactly, he's one of us... like ya and i. an alternate." 

"all right, i'm all ears." He hadn’t heard Sans this serious since he met him and Sans  _ Judged  _ him.

\-----

Red couldn't tell how long their talk lasted. He told Sans how he met Sopran, not exactly pointing out the fresh killing and LV, simply because he had a feeling there was more than cold-blooded murder at play and he wanted to protect Sopran for now. But the shared and other details that might have mattered and helped in Sopran’s identification. And would maybe help them find out where exactly he came from. But beside Sans being a fun guy to talk with, the information he got was almost zero. 

"i told you multiple times, red. we don't make any mistakes. there is no such skeleton. no one ever saw or heard of him, not even me. listen red. i know it's not the answer you were hoping to get but i promise we’ll find who he is. i’ll call alphys and ask the others if they know anything... someone has to know them, i can feel in my bones!" Sans’ voice rang with certainty.

Yeah. Great. Red hang up after that. He was as smart as before. What the hell was wrong with Sopran? He was there, sleeping in his bed. He was alive. He was a real living monster. Not some imaginary friend or whatever. An anomaly. Something that shouldn't be here. So why did no one know he existed?

"Any News?" Red jumped when he heard his brother’s voice. 

"fuck! boss! ya caught me off guard." Red bristled.

"You Will Survive.” Edge dismissed him, getting quickly back on topic. “Stretch Will Call Me Back Tomorrow. He Never Heard Of Sopran Before!" 

"yea... sans said the same. we're looking for a needle in a haystack." Red replied with a tired sigh.

The only thing the brothers knew for sure was that they didn't know anything. Sopran stayed a mystery. Like a hoax. Something that shouldn't exist. Sure, there were different universes, different worlds all mashed up together and they were all the same in a way. Same people, mostly the same story, different surroundings and circumstances. But there was never a case of only one monster coming up to the surface. It was always almost all the same monsters, with only a few exceptions. But one of the golden rules was that every Sans had his Papyrus. So why would Sopran be different? There must be someone out there who knows who the little monster is. 

If Red would get lost, Edge would do everything to find him. And he’d start with Sans, because anyone looking for a lost monster would start from Sans, everyone knew him and most trusted him. But Sans had no clue about it. Why was no one searching for Sopran? Or maybe they were but couldn't find him? And why he acting so strangely? The pieces don't fit into the puzzle. Something was very odd and very wrong. Same for the killing. Sopran seemed so helpless. Defenceless. But at the same time, he was a judge too, after all. Maybe it was an accident? But if Sopran had used the  _ Judge  _ to kill off an asilliant, he wouldn’t have gotten a LV, that’s not how the  _ Judge  _ worked. Then again, whoever got killed by him must have had a reason to attack him? If not, maybe self-defence? 

"Sans! Are You Listening?" Edge’s voice cut through Red’s thoughts.

".. what? sorry boss, ya know i tried to find an answer but no luck." 

"I Know! There Is None! For Now, We Did Everything We Could. Let Things Rest Until Tomorrow." Red knew Edge was right. It was hard to admit, but they tried. And he won't give up. 

"yer right, but then? we're out of ideas, unless..." Red’s voice trailed off making Edge narrow his sockets.

"Unless What?" 

Red snickered, looking determinedly into his brother’s sockets. 

"i've got a plan..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A plan? Hmmmmmm... what kinda plan might that be? >.>
> 
> Poor Sopran pretty much panicked themselves unconscious but at least the underfell brothers had a chance to call around and... find out nothing :(  
Hopefully Red's plan will help them out of the dead end...


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trouble it might drag you down ♪♪♪  
<strike>If you get lost, you can always be found</strike> ♪♪♪

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sopran gets an unpleasant surprise >.>

Sopran was tired from being exhausted. 

No wonder that their small body couldn't handle it anymore. With all the stress they had to deal with, Sopran had fallen asleep shortly after that last panic attack. The tiny monster had let down their guard. No more defences. No will to fight back. Everything was just too much. They had to find a different way to 'run away', and sleep was the only option left. 

No more questions. 

It would be best if the two brothers just got rid of Sopran as soon as they could. Staying with them meant danger, both for Sopran and probably for the brothers. Trying to help them escape what hurt them was not worth it. Tiredly, Sopran made a decision. It was for the best not to rely on Red and Edge. They don't need a burden like a small helpless and broken skeleton around. Those guys looked very strong, they could probably protect Sopran. But as soon as they learned everything about them, they wouldn't care. Or, even worse, they would show their true intentions and start using Sopran like they’ve been used... before. 

Yes! That was the truth of the world. There is no way a stranger would help another. Humans, monsters... they only care for themselves. Others, like Sopran who were nearly invisible, their existence rejected and lost, always got shoved to the side. Sopran learned that the hard way in the short time living on the street. Freedom came at a high price, as did knowledge. No one would take a risk to fight for them. No one. 

So the welcoming darkness of sleep felt nice, for the time it lasted. Sopran was gone for the moment, not aware of anything. The short phase where they got carried around, the warmth, the source of protection, gone fast, lasting only an insignificant moment and giving the small body time to relax as sweet oblivion took their mind. 

It was nice, for another night, to sleep in a real bed. So soft, comfortable. With the strong smell Sopran had noticed before. It felt safe. A real place of protection. But it was too good to be true, and Sopran knew it couldn't last forever. As morning crept on, so did the peace of the night and blessed dreamless sleep end. 

Sopran woke up in the same room as before. Red’s room. The skeleton remembered falling asleep but not getting here. Seems like someone took care of them. As they started to move there was a soft meow drawing their attention, followed by something that could be a yawn? Do cats yawn? Sopran wasn't sure, but a hint of a smile could be seen on their face, as phalanges reached out to pet Doomfanger. The cat was definitely something Sopran would miss. It was nice having a companion for once. Especially a cat so protective without judging them or the things Sopran had done.

_ ‘You're a good kitty’  _ Sopran thought, while giving Doomy another stroke through the soft fur. 

It took a moment for Sopran to get up, stretching their body. As they stretched they noticed that the fever was gone. Relief spread through their soul. And for now, there seemed to be no remaining side effects from the sudden rush the LV brought with it. Good. Mind clear, body recovered. That's a big enough stroke of luck for now. Or maybe... something caught Sopran’s attention right away. There was a stack of clothes laying beside the bed. Their clothes! 

_ ‘No way! I thought they threw them away…’ _ Sopran thought as relief washed over them.

Until now Sopran never thought about something so simple, but going out, back to the street, in only Red’s shirt? Hell no. It was weird enough that the image made Sopran blush for a second (better not dwell on that thought for long), they didn’t need others seeing them that exposed. 

Everything was clean and ready. Sopran couldn’t wait any longer to get dressed back into their clothes. It felt so good. Finally back in something familiar and more suitable for a small monster. The smell of dust and blood was gone. It felt so good. They didn’t care about anything else as they enjoyed the comfort. The hoodie gave them the needed protection on the street. Together with the scarf which smelled... well... no. It's okay. Of course the smell Sopran loved so much was gone now. But they would remember. Always. 

After slipping into their shoes, Sopran was ready to face the brothers. There was no way they could stay. They had to tell them that somehow. 

Before leaving, Sopran neatly folded Red’s shirt and placed it on top of his bed. It was nice wearing something different for once but now they had to go and see if the brothers were still around.

Following the smell of maybe eggs or something, they concluded that the two must be home. If not, there would be some food in the kitchen, right? Doomfanger followed Sopran out of the room, just to run across the hall back into the kitchen. 

"Aww! Who's My Evil Kitten? You Are! Yes You Are!" Edge cooed at the new arrival.

"stop talkin' shit like da cat even gets what yer say'n!" Red grumbled, sounding as tired as Sopran felt.

"Don't Listen To Him Doomfanger. You're The Evilest And Meanest Minion I've Ever Had! And Look! Your Food Is Ready." Edge continued, uncaring of his brother’s annoyance.

Okay. Now Sopran was sure the two monsters were around. It would have been so much easier without them here... maybe Sopran could've found a way out of here before they came back. Sneaking out would have been a lot less painful. But no. It seems their luck didn’t hold out that long. Gathering all the meager confidence they could muster, Sopran walked into the kitchen. 

"heh, seems like the other stray kitten is hungry too, hm?" Red’s said, sounding a bit more awake and chipper.

"Good Morning Sopran. Are You Hungry?" Edge looked up at Sopran from where he was placing the cat’s food as he asked with a gentle smile.

Okay? That was odd and felt somehow off. This was very unlike yesterday. They sounded different... Edge was way too calm, and Red sounded happier than before. Sopran felt suspicious as visible confusion found its way onto their face. 

*Yes?* Sopran signed, questioning the strange way the other skeletons were acting. Maybe it was normal? Maybe yesterday was an exception because their daily routine had been interrupted by Sopran? 

"ya found yer clothes. good. my bro had to fix some holes but they should be almost as good as new." Red’s expression told them nothing, but left them feeling… strangely on edge.

*yes... thanks...* They replied hesitantly, unsure if they would have to repay them for the repairs in some way.

"Take A Seat! Food Will Be Ready In A Moment!" Edge boomed as he went back to the stove.

That sounded good. Sopran was hungry after all, and eating as much as they could will probably help them get through the next few days if they left today.

As the plate was put on the table, Sopran was faced with scrambled eggs, fresh roasted bacon and toast. The smell was amazing. Edge was a good cook, there was no doubt about that. The large skeleton, after serving food for himself and his brother, took a seat and started eating. And after a little hesitation, and a few glances between the brothers, so did Sopran. 

"So. My Brother And I Talked Things Out And We Came To The Conclusion That It Would Be The Best If We Get You Home Today If Your Fever Is Gone!" Edge suddenly said as Sopran was taking a bite.

They froze for a second. Home... the one place the tiny skeleton never wanted to go back to. Couldn't go back to... 

_ ‘Think! You're smart enough to find a way out of this.’ _ The thought ran through their skull as panic slowly started bubbling up, but Sopran did their best to stay calm. Red was surely watching all their movements. Somehow, by some miracle, Sopran managed to come back from the panic attack and focused on Edge, putting down the fork, their appetite gone. 

"it's not that we don't wanna have ya around. but ya should be safer at yer own place." Red added, his voice sounding happy but… fake?

The brothers didn’t know. Right. Sopran had to remind themself of that fact. And it was all because Sopran couldn't tell them anything. They couldn’t risk it. And yet they still felt... betrayed? Were the two monsters only playing the nice guys, offering them to stay just and now they wanted to throw them out already? It seems Sopran was right about what they thought before and... Baritone was right too. Don't trust anyone. No one is worth being trusted. You're not allowed to talk about anything. They would never believe you. Or would just decide to do the same thing...

Looks like that lesson was right. Even if Sopran had a chance to explain, to tell them what happened on the day they met Red, the two wouldn’t help, believe or trust the small skeleton. Sopran was alone after all.

They knew it was irrational. Sopran had planned to leave today too, yet their soul still hurt. Their hope tried to cling to the single ray of good that came into their life since… forever, but now that it was gone, and not by their own hands, it… hurt.

It took them a few moments to gather their thoughts. Swallowing down the pain, the panic, Sopran put on a believable enough fake smile. 

*Okay. My fever is gone and I had the same thing in mind.* They signed, trying to keep their hands steady. *You've been so kind, t-thanks.*

_ ‘Good. Only one shake. They probably didn’t notice, right?’ _ Sopran thought as they glanced towards Red, his sockets trained on them, eyelights a little dim. 

It was hard not to get up and run away on the spot. It hurt. Betrayal always does, even when it wasn’t intentional. Their soft glowing blue pinpricks turned a little pale as Sopran looked down and started eating again. Their appetite might be gone, but they knew that hunger later would be a lot worse than forcing food down now. They didn't dare look the other two in the sockets again. The decision was made and Sopran had to live with the consequences.

The remainder of breakfast passed quietly. Good. Sopran ate as much as they could, enjoying themself despite the situation. Then again fresh made food was way better than eating from a dumpster, so it wasn’t a surprise. What a shame that it would maybe last them for only another 2 or 3 days and then they would have to dumpster dive again. 

Everything felt wrong. Sopran acted monotone, as they had before. It was a carefully cultivated facade. They were smart enough to know they had to keep calm and try to lead the brothers away from the truth. The risk of being caught lying was less frightening than the thought of being brought back to that place. And taking the two bigger monsters to where they lived now wasn’t an option either, since they feared that if the brothers saw it they would just take the small monster and... 

Stopping that line of thought by sheer force of will, they focused back on the task at hand. Explaining where ‘home’ was. They knew the place around their current 'home' well enough, knew where to lead Red and Edge without being too suspicious. And the two won't ask. They didn’t care. Right? 

"that's not far away from where we first met..." Red finally concluded, after Sopran tried to explain the place the brothers had to take them. They never saw a map before and it was much harder for them to point out exactly where they lived. It was a real pain in the ass for everyone involved and Sopran could feel their anxiety spike in worry. They wanted to be done with it as quickly as possible and it looked like the other skeletons couldn't wait to get rid of them fast enough. Again, Sopran felt so stupid for thinking they could trust them. For believing they could maybe be safe even once. Such an idiot.

"You're Sure You Won't Need Anything?" Edge’s voice broke through the dark cloud forming in Sopran’s skull.

*I'm fine, thanks…* Sopran quickly replied, not wanting to raise any suspicion. 

Why did he even ask? It’s not like he cared. Sopran was angry. Sad. Confused. They weren’t sure why this was making them hurt so badly, since no one ever helped them before, yet the feeling of betrayal was somehow harsher than ever before. Maybe the damage their soul had suffered made their emotions more powerful? Or maybe they were just too tired to stifle them like usual... 

It didn’t matter, there was no way back.

Changing their train of thought Sopran focused on the brother’s behaviour. They might have thought that Red and Edge were acting strange at first, but the more they thought about it the more it started to feel normal. What did they really know about these two after all?

"We're Driving You All The Way Home. Just To Make Sure You're Okay!" Sopran jumped as Edge proclaimed. Driving? In a car? One of those loud and smelly vehicles humans and monsters are using to get around the city, making travel by foot look useless? Geez. Not another thing they don't like. "Are You Okay?" 

"what’s wrong bud? ya never been in a car before?" Red asked with a grin. 

Yeah. Make fun of them too. Sopran got used to that a long time ago. The normalcy of it helped Sopran relax a bit. They knew how to handle things like this after all.

*I can deal with it.* They calmly signed, head turned down.

"If You Say So." Edge replied after a pause, Sopran didn’t look up at him.

Of course, they would deal. What else could they do now? No magic means no way to teleport out of there. That combined with a weakened body meant they couldn’t walk back home. And they learned a long time ago that you have to take what you got. And the car, well, it was scary but relatively safe, even if Sopran didn't like it at all. 

And it didn’t get any better once they were inside. It felt like being trapped in a loud box with bumpy wheels. The strange noises, the fast moving scenery out of the window and the unexpected motion sickness didn’t help them calm down at all. Sopran knew that saying yes and getting in was for the best, and that agreeing to be taken back home was the right choice, if a nauseating one. Finally. There would be no need to think futile thoughts of staying anymore. They are better off without Red and Edge. 

The only thought that truly hurt as they huddled in the back of the car, was saying goodbye to Doomfanger. Sopran liked that cat a lot and would miss him. They thought about him, trying to stay calm. The uncertainty of what was to follow was scary. And Sopran was afraid of falling into another panic attack.

Thankfully the drive didn't take long, but it still felt like forever to Sopran. As they were getting closer to the destination, Sopran’s soul felt way heavier than before. For a second they felt bad for not reaching out to the two skeletons. For not telling them the truth. Guilt rose up in their soul. They almost broke down and spilled out apologies again. But before they could, the traitorous thought of  _ ‘It's better for you to stay alone.’ _ sprang up and stopped them. 

They comforted themself that at least for now they were alive even if it could be over any day, any time. Honestly, saving their life was a bittersweet accident and it only extended their suffering for a little while. Still, there was a tiny glimpse of hope left in Sopran that they would have a chance to see their brother one last time. They had to tell him how much they loved him. They needed to hear his voice one more time. 

And as if fate wanted to mock them one last time, the radio started playing one of his songs ass the moderator pointed out his next sold-out concert. Tenor. 

> Hold on, to me as we go
> 
> As we roll down this unfamiliar road
> 
> And although this wave is stringing us along
> 
> Just know you're not alone
> 
> 'Cause I'm going to make this place your home ~

Sopran leaned close to the window, closing their eyes for a second. Listening to his voice. The volume was low, but for them it was enough. 

> Settle down, it'll all be clear
> 
> Don't pay no mind to the demons
> 
> They fill you with fear
> 
> The trouble it might drag you down
> 
> If you get lost, you can always be found~ 

Oh, Sopran wished that was true. But reality was different. It wasn't a fairytale. Or even a story with a happy ending. 

> Just know you're not alone
> 
> 'Cause I'm going to make this place your home
> 
> Settle down, it'll all be clear
> 
> Don't pay no mind to the demons
> 
> They fill you with fear
> 
> The trouble it might drag you down
> 
> If you get lost, you can always be found
> 
> Just know you're not alone
> 
> 'Cause I'm going to make this place your...~ 

Home! Sopran’s sockets snapped open. The street looked familiar. The only thing the skeleton could do was bang against Red’s seat making him turn with a raised browbone. Seeing Sopran frantically pointing towards the street, he gave a curt nod. 

"boss, we’re here.” Red drawled out and added, “there's a parking spot..." 

The area didn’t look that good. It was almost a slum. One of those places you would live in only if you're running out of options. Maybe even with a high crime rate. Edge parked the car, cutting off the engine and turned to Sopran. 

"You're Living Here?" He asked, his face and voice dark.

*Yes?* Sopran tentatively replied and wished they would be brave enough to tell him to mind his own business. This had nothing to do with him now that Sopran would be alone again. But fear gripped their soul too tightly.

"ya know if ya need anything, i can give ya our number?" Red offered, digging in his pockets for his phone. 

*No… thanks. It’s fine.* Sopran hesitantly replied. They didn’t have a phone and hoped Red wouldn’t press the issue. They didn’t want to explain why.

“... ‘kay.” Red replied after a few moments of staring Sopran down, making them let out a soft sigh in relief.

"Be Careful Sopran." Edge’s voice was so soft it made Sopran pause. The tiniest spark of hope springing to life in their soul. But the disappointment they suffered today and the leftover effects of the LV quickly snuffed it out.

*I will be. Thanks for driving me...* Like before, they kept their reply to a minimum. 

With a deep breath, they concentrated on the next step. Leaving the car and closing the door was the first step they would take to... being completely alone again. 

In a few minutes, they won't see the brothers ever again. The skeleton took a shaky breath, then faced back towards the brothers and gave them another fake smile before waving a final goodbye. Turning back they grabbed the door handle and… froze.

Why couldn’t they leave? 

Sopran felt their soul clench at the thought of taking that step. Of living in that alley again. Of the hunger and the-

Shaking their head to stop that line of thinking, they gripped harder and finally opened the door, then walked out and away from the car, straight to one of the buildings. They passed by this one many times before and knew the door was never locked. It was so easy for them to slip into the building as if they did it a hundred times before. The door slammed closed after them with a feeling of finality. 

The moment it did their body started shaking as they walked up the stairs, trying to get a peek outside without getting noticed. It was important to make sure the brothers were gone before heading to their real ‘home’.

_ ‘I'm sorry.’ _ Sopan thought as tears gathered at the edges of their sockets. What a mess. Lying was hard enough on their broken soul, but knowing that the other two made it clear that they didn’t want Sopran around made them lose the last sliver of control. They felt tears stream down their cheeks as they watched the car.

A little while after that they heard the car start up again, and then watched it drive off. Sopran felt the hurt grip them again. They hadn’t said anything to show that pain up till now, but something deep inside them wished,  _ hoped, _ for the two brothers to stop. To take them back. To tell them it will be alright and they simply wanted to teach them a lesson for not speaking out when told to. 

But they were gone. Really gone.

And so was the hope for a better future. Sopran felt the weight on their shoulders grow again, as a tiny whimper escaped them. Another fat tear ran down their bony cheeks, absorbed by the scarf the little skeleton was hiding their face in. 

Alone again. On the street. No one there to help. 

_ ‘There's no time. Get yourself together. Get up and leave the building. It was for the best.’ _ Sopran tried hard to convince themself.

They had to be extra careful. They got out, checking if someone had noticed them, before they walked down the street. It was a miracle that they managed to convince the brothers they had a home. Almost hilarious. The place they called 'home' was very different to this run-down building. Worse. 

Not a long walk down, right around a corner. Between two buildings, nearly invisible there was an alley, completely hidden from view. Someone was cooking in one of the buildings, they could smell it. Yet it still smelled bad. The dumpsters at the entrance to the alley were left open again. 

Sopran managed to sneak in, back where a monster like them belongs. The skeleton quickly got out of sight and let their guard down with a tired sigh.

Unaware of the quiet shadows following them…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Note - the song is “Home” by “Phillip Phillips” 
> 
> That was... bad. Very very bad @_@
> 
> Who are the shadows? And how could the underfell brothers hurt Sopran this badly? What the heck are they doing??? DX


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lady, the plans we had went all wrong ♪♪♪  
<strike>We ain't nothing but fight and shout and tears</strike> ♪♪♪

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do any plans ever go to... plan? >.>

"_THIS_ Is The Plan? You Know I Value Your Decisions Brother, But This Feels... Wrong." Red could feel the anger rising in his brother’s voice. He was concerned. Of course he was. It went much further than he thought. Sopran was smart, but not smart enough to trick them fully. Red had noticed the little monster hiding something the moment Edge told him they were gonna take him home. The question was, what?

"ya may not like what we’re doin’, but ya know i’m right." Red growled out, trying to keep any doubt out of his own voice. Everything went as predicted. As if they would let their LV guest go so easily. All the things they did and said today were a trick. You can say they've played the perfect role. Red felt a little proud of them, even if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Look At Him! How Can You Be Sure He's Living Here? Let's End This And Take Him Back." Edge was losing his meager patience fast, Red had to do something before he ruined the whole thing and made their efforts useless.

"not now. list’n boss, stay with the plan. just this once 'kay?” Red quickly cut him off, hoping his brother would cool his hot head and wait a bit longer. “start the car and drive back as i said." 

"But-" 

"butt up yer ass. do it already." Red cut him off before this turned into a debate.

"... Fine!" Edge half roared, but thankfully listened. 

Neither of them wanted to leave, it wasn't part of the plan. Red knew he took a high risk on choosing to act like they don't care, like they wanted to leave Sopran alone, but it was a necessary act. Without getting any information from the small skeleton and with no one knowing who Sopran was, they had to take the risk and try to find out something. His feelings on this are true. It was still hard as they probably lost all the trust they've built up with Sopran until now… if there was any. But it would be worth it. It had to be... 

He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to protect Sopran. as much as he did Edge. As much as it looked like it, the small skeleton wasn’t a non-existent being. He was real. He must have someone who missed him. He can't be all alone. Yet Sans said that no one got past him ever, that there's no way that Sopran could have been on the surface without him knowing, and even less likely that he was all alone in this world. The only way a monster could end up on this surface was through a mercy run, no one ever came from a genocide one, and it was always all the monsters from that underground. So Sopran couldn’t be alone, or if they were they were an anomaly. But if he wasn’t alone, why didn’t he ask Red or Edge to call someone and tell them he was alive? What was he hiding?

It was too risky to let him hide with the fresh LV glaring Red in the face.

So, if they have to use some drastic methods, then that's it. That's the way it had to go. They need more info, more pieces to the puzzle. And if it meant to betray some moral rules they had to try it. Only for now. 

Out of sight, Edge found the perfect spot to hide the car. They could easily stay hidden and keep surveillance on the building Sopran went into. There was no other way out of the building. Question was if Red was right and Sopran was waiting for them to disappear to come back out, or if this really was his home. There was no time to feel guilty right now. Maybe later. And as the brothers were cautiously approaching closer to the building, something moved. The door opened up again, revealing the small skeleton peeking out. 

"i knew he lied!" Red hissed out. Sneaky little bastard. He was trying hard to hide himself, staying out of sight as he moved down the street. "follow him, quick!" 

With the street nearly out of traffic it was easy to not lose sight of Sopran, but a little difficult to keep out of sight. Thankfully there was one around to found it suspicious that two monsters were following another, slowly approaching them while keeping a far enough distance. And if someone did see them, they simply don't care. Looks like everyone kept to their own business here. It was no wonder people could get robbed, hurt or beat in areas like this. And no one would see anything. Probably because it was dangerous to tell the truth. 

It felt like back in the old days, where only the instinct of survival could keep you safe. The Underfell universe was similar to this place. Cold, cruel and nobody there when you need them. No one to answer the call for help.

Red felt a shiver run down his spine.

Perhaps it was the reason why Sopran chose to stay here. Whatever bothered the tiny monster, he must have a good reason to take such a high risk. His HP was low, he couldn't use magic as far as Red could tell, though god knows why that was the case. 

Red never met someone like him before. And for fuck’s sake, he wanted to know more, get any answer no matter how bad it was. Sopran  _ killed  _ someone. Something a judge normally didn’t have the intent to do. Especially not in a peaceful world like this. Sure, not all people were good, but he knew that humans and monsters didn’t have to fight for their lives here. It was a safe place, wasn't it? 

No… that wasn’t exactly true. Red knew the truth. Not everything was as great as it appeared on the surface (heh). Sopran was a living example. He was scared, hurt, alone and now running because he couldn't trust anyone. What a horrible conclusion. Red had been like that too at first, but meeting his alternates, all the different personalities showing what and who he could be, helped him focus and become a better monster. What went wrong that Sopran was so afraid of letting people in? That they were afraid of basic everyday things? 

There was nothing for the little monster to lose. He wasn't sure if he sent the wrong signals, wasn’t sure at which point Sopran thought he couldn't trust him, but they had to do something. 

So here they are now, following him a few streets down until he turned and chose to walk into another, much darker looking street. 

"Where Is He Going?" Edge whispered out, but his voice was loud naturally and didn’t do whispering well.

"shhh.. quiet!" Red tried to keep them as far away as possible but close enough so he wouldn’t lose sight. 

"He's Doing Another Turn. What Is He Looking For? Isn't That A Dead End?" 

"it's an alley bro and if i had 'n answer for ya, we don't have had ta follow 'im around." 

"Look! There's Someone Coming!" Edge hissed out and pointed directly at some strange looking figures who were following Sopran into the alley. 

"we have ta get closer... hurry." Red growled out.

Events just turned worse. Why was someone following the little monster? And how did they know Sopran was coming? Red was pretty sure Sopran had no phone, no way to call. And he was with them and any without time to reach out to someone. But what if those guys were part of something bigger? What if Sopan was too?

Gangs weren’t common, but some of the monsters from fell universes did like to band up and cause trouble. Red knew a few from his universe and none of them were a good crowd. These guys looked a little like that and he did not like it. What kind of business did they have with Sopran?

"Who Are They?" Edge’s voice startled Red out of his thoughts.

"not sure... maybe a gang or somethin'. hopefully not, but it would explain why Sopran got into a fight when i found ‘im... maybe how he earned the lvs." Red didn’t want to assume the worst, but his experience told him not to let his guard down.

Besides everything, Red and Edge had agreed that they wouldn’t take any action until they learned something more, preferably any hints about what happened that night. Why Sopran was full of blood and dust. Who became a victim of the tiny skeleton. But if he turned out to be part of a gang it means he lied before. Playing the helpless monster. Sneaking into their lives. No. Yet all the other pieces they gathered until now didn't match with these thoughts. There was no way Sopran would be such a crafty trickster, or actor. Or at least Red hoped so. 

As they slowly got closer to the alley, the skeletons tried to stay out of sight, hiding in the shadows and close to the walls. At the dead end, they could see the monsters from before. 

"You little piece of shit! Where have you been for the last two days? Thought you could run away from us?" An angry voice could be heard yelling at someone. "Get this fucker out from there!" 

The only thing Red and Edge could see from a distance was someone trying to pick up something small, they could assume it was Sopran, followed by a horrible hissing sound. 

"Heeeee tried to bite me!! Ssstupid sssshit!" A hissy voice spat out as the monster dragged the little skeleton out of… boxes? What the hell was- 

"Sans?!" Edge’s voice was filled with an urgency to act, but it was too soon.

"ssshhhhh quiet!" Even as Red hissed that out he could feel his soul painfully squeeze. But they had to wait for the right moment. Something was wrong, that was for sure. But they had to hear more to be sure what the situation was. 

"Look how stupid he looks now! Pathetically curled up in the dirt. You know what you did.  _ We  _ know what you did and we won't let you live" The bunny monster on the left side growled out and spit on Sopran. "No one cares if you’re dead! Get him!"

"Enough!!!" Edges voice rung out through the alley as everything happened in a blink of the eye. One of the shady monsters had raised a leg to kick Sopran’s face, but stopped in the middle of the swing. 

"Ssshit!! C-can't move!" They whimpered out as their leg was stopped.

"Who the fuck are you?" Another yelled out, turning to face the booming voice.

"watch yer filthy mouth bitch! yer trying to hurt something that belongs ta me!" Red was slowly getting closer, crimson magic circling around him, making his face look terrifying and his whole appearance made it hard to breathe, as he took in the scene in front of him.

He could see five monsters in total. Two lackey looking bastards, a bunny and some kind of lizard monster that seemed to be the ones who talked before, and Sopran huddled on the floor near a cardboard box. That must have been where the little skeleton hid and the others pulled him out of. Red took in the box for a moment, it looked like it was… lived in? But he quickly pulled his attention back to the lizard as they spoke. 

"So what fatass..? That's none of your business!" The lizard was still trying to free their leg. Red was almost impressed at their bluster. Almost.

"It Is Our Business!" Edge appeared out of nowhere, grabbing and holding one of the lackeys looking monsters tight while pressing a sharp red glowing bone against the other different one’s throat. Two monsters were incapacitated. Good.

"G-get them! We can't losssse another member!" the lizard monster started hissing, not moving a single inch as their leg was still kept immobilized by the Red’s magic. 

"Is that some weird fetish you skeletons have? Wandering around killing innocent monsters?" The bunny monster spat at them, making Red let out a dangerous growl in reply. "Hit a weak spot, did I?" 

"yer innocent my ass!” Red spat as he closed in. “better shut up!" 

"Or else what? Going to kill me?" The bunny started laughing, but was cut off a second after. Red teleported behind them, holding them tight as he let one of his sharp phalanges slowly run over the monster’s cheek, down till he reached their throat. A thin line of blood running down the fur. 

"fuck off! take yer friends and run, and never come back 'ere ever again." Red growled directly into the bunny’s ear, his voice dripping dark intent. 

"O-okay okay... damn... y-you weirdo! Take that piece of trash." Red released his hostage at the same second Edge did, making both of the monsters stumble and run into one another. "This won't be the last time we met fuckers!" The bunny yelled at them, helping her friend up and all of them running out of the alley back to the street. 

"That Was Close. I Thought We Had To-" 

"better not speak it out loud... it's easier ta scare 'em away." Red cut Edge off, before things got more complicated. Edge sighed in relief, while Red lowered himself down to the ground. 

During all this, the one monster they came here for was still down on the ground. Curled up and shaking... fuck. His soul felt heavy from guilt. Maybe he should have stopped the situation earlier. Red wasn't sure what to do. 

"sopran.. hey.. ya okay?" If it was one thing he was scared of, that his tiny friend would fall into another severe panic attack again. 

"I’ll Go Get The Car..." Edge said, moving forward back to the street. They had to get away from here fast. And it wasn't up to him to help Sopran. Red was the one in charge of the situation. 

"listn', i am sorry," he started with a low voice. "guess i fucked up... again didn’ i?" Red practically whispered out then the next thing happened so suddenly, that he wasn’t completely aware of what was going on. 

Sopran moved fast, nearly impossible to track as they sprang up and dashed close to Red, pushing the tiny and shivering body against his chest, nearly making him fall down on his butt, but he managed to keep his balance. Sopran was crying, not only holding back at all, letting out huge scared sobs. The little skeleton was holding something to their chest that Red couldn't see for the moment. But who cared. It took him a little effort to take the next step. But he did. Red put his arms around Sopran’s body, pulling him into a hug. Gently, like the little one would break. Or worse, run away from him. 

"ya knew it the whole time... didn't ya?" Red hesitantly asked. He felt Sopran shake his head slightly, Red’s soul taking a heavy hit. He had hoped the small monster had figured it out, but it seems fate wasn’t that kind.

Sopran stayed still, trying to get his sobs under control. Red rubbed their back, trying to help him calm down and stop any potential panic attacks.

"fuck. sorry bud, i didn’ mean fer this ta happen. just had ta make sure ya weren’t lyin’. i didn’ think this would happen..." He felt the little monster start shaking at his words. “‘m so sorry. i should’a known ya didn’ lie ta me. shouldn’ have let ya come here. shouldn’ have let those bastards close! should’a just kept ya home-” 

Red was cut off by Sopran pushing him away just a little bit, so they could look him in the sockets. Like the first time they met, as red met blue, it left a strange feeling tingling inside the big skeleton. 

Sopran gently shook his head, Red wasn’t sure if he was denying Red’s words or trying to calm him. The tiny monster sniffled, his tears finally slowing down and breath calming down. Then, hesitantly, as if he weren’t sure that he should show this to Red, the monster pulled out something hidden between them, holding it thight in his tiny hands. 

"was that why ya came here? for da headphones?" Sopran’s cheeks blushed, as he nodded in agreement, pulling them closer again and making himself comfortable in Red’s arms, making Red hug him as close as possible. 

"dammit sopran... i hope they were worth it." Red choked out, glad he didn’t completely lose the tiny monsters trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp this went... well? Maybe? Kinda? Ok maybe not >.>
> 
> I don't think Red and Edge had any idea that Sopran would end up in such a bad situation but let's be honest, that was a dumb plan -_-  
Now they have a very scared and even more traumatized tiny skeleton on their hands :(
> 
> The big question is, what did the tughs want from Sopran? Why would they want a street living monster dead? @_@


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I feel guilt, I feel guilt, ♪♪♪  
<strike>Though I know I've done no wrong I feel guilt. </strike> ♪♪♪

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sopran is finally safe and everything is all right... right? :/

Fury and guilt.

These two were boiling over in Edge’s soul as he stomped back to the car. He wasn’t sure if the fury was aimed at the bastards that almost hurt the small copy of his brother, or if it was at himself and Red for letting it happen.

The moment he heard the wretched plan he knew it would somehow go wrong. He felt it in his soul, making it uneasily twist. But they didn’t have a choice right now. Sopran was… unknown. A liability. Someone they couldn’t really trust, not until they knew more about his origins and intentions. And since there wasn’t any information to gain from others, and Sopran wasn’t giving them any, they had to act.

If you didn’t ACT you were dust.

They had learned that a long time ago. And it kept them alive until now. 

… Sopran almost wasn’t that lucky.

Edge was angry at him too. Angry that he didn’t ask them for help. That he didn’t stand up to them bringing him ‘home’. That he didn’t speak up for himself at all, no matter how obnoxious Edge acted, or how harshly he yelled. Any of his brother's copies were used to a Papyruses yelling, they knew exactly when one was angry or annoyed or just excited. And they all knew how to tell him off. To get him to shut up and back off if he overstepped. And he did overstep, didn’t he?

“Fuck.” He growled out as he came up to the car, taking a moment to calm down. No use in driving while he was this pissed off, he couldn’t risk an accident right now.

Taking a few deep breaths he schooled his boiling emotions under control and hardened his expression into his usual scowl. Nice and simple. Put on the mask and pretend like nothing was wrong. He’ll deal with it when he’s home. Where he’s safe. Where Red and Sopran are safe. Where he knows he can protect them all.

The drive back to the entrance of that cursed alley was short and without anything or anyone getting in his way. Good. For them.

He was feeling pissed enough to do some serious damage if anyone decided to try anything with him. Hell, he’d be happy for the chance to use some of this anger, instead of letting it fester in his soul. Making him think. And rethink. They messed up. Almost permanently. Those monsters didn’t care about Sopran’s HP, they didn’t even bother to check. They wanted him dead… 

Edge shuddered. The image of Sopran overlapping with Red’s in his head. He might not be his Sans, but he was still a Sans and no Papyrus could let his brother get hurt. Not even a copy of his brother. But...

… why was Sopran so hurt then? Why didn’t his brother stop that from happening? It’s not possible that Sopran didn’t have a brother, was it?

His thinking was interrupted by the back door swinging open, making him flinch a bit and curse under his breath. He got distracted. Unbelievable! If that had happened in his universe he could have gotten seriously hurt or worse. This world was really making him go soft. He has to be careful.

Shaking his head to clear it and focus he watched as Red got into the car, cradling his copy to his chest, one hand under his femurs and face pressed to his ribs. Sopran shook a little, still crying, making Edge frown. This must have been a terrifying experience to such a soft looking monster. He couldn’t imagine Sopran ever experiencing violence with how fragile he looked. But he knew better.

Red told him about the scars.

“Are You Going To Stay Back There?” Edge asked as he saw his brother lean out to close the door.

“yea.” Red simply replied, wrapping Sopran up with both hands, a challenging look on his face as if he was daring Edge to stop him.

Like Edge would ever dare after what they did.

With a final look to the tiny skeleton, who was still shaking in Red’s arms, Edge’s frown deepened but he didn’t say anything. Turning around he started the drive home, hoping they would be able to fix this.

\--------

"Finally Home.” Edge proclaimed as he sighed in relief the moment they closed the front door. He felt a lot safer in his own territory, with the ones he wanted to protect safely inside his halls.” I Will Go Make Some Hot Chocolate for Sopran And One With Some The Obnoxious Mustard You Enjoy Brother!"

He knew it was probably stupid, but he felt that leaving Sopran and Red alone for a bit would be the right thing to do. His brother wasn’t showing it, emotions were always hidden, a weakness, but seeing Sorpan so close to dusting had hurt him. He knew his brother. He saw those lines under his sockets. The way he was trying to keep his expression from twisting.

They all needed some time to gather themselves.

If you thought the whole day started oddly, it seems like it wasn't over yet. Edge felt a bit left aside. Red and Sopran seemed to have gone closer after everything happened, and he was happy for them. Red felt horrible, he could tell. And Sopran was… damaged even before this “plan” went into effect. They both needed the closeness and Edge wasn’t going to let his emotions get the better of him and ruin it for them. Even if he had to grit his teeth and deal with the guilt over what happened. Over the plan going so wrong.

Well, maybe not wrong. Because they did get what they wanted, didn’t they?

They now know that Sopran wasn’t a threat. If anything, they were in danger. So they could trust the little monster more and bring him back. Now Edge knew it was best for them all to drive home where it was safe and familiar, but as much as Edge respected his brother’s plan and the results it brought, he still wasn't sure if it was the right way. Not even after talking with Stretch about this copy of his brother. 

And Stretch had warned him. Told him to be careful. If Sopran had somehow slipped through Sans’ checks, there was always a possibility of him not being what they thought he would be. Of course, Edge wasn't all too familiar with the whole multiverse theories, most of that complicated science didn’t make much sense to him, but he knew there was no possibility that a monster could hide under the radar when appearing on this surface. Because it was never only one monster that came up, it was always the whole underground. Only a full mercy run could make that happen. So the warning was sound and even if it wasn't Stretch’s intention to make him feel unsure, it did make him aware of some sinister possibilities.

And even if they were wrong, he was right up to some point. There is something sinister afoot. Red could almost always see through everything and Edge knew his plan would work, even if the outcome wasn’t exactly expected. But they got Sopran back. And that was the point of the whole thing from the start, right? They wanted to see if their tiny guest had something to hide. If there was another truth to be told. Now they were sure. There was something and he needed to know more.

He came back to the living room, carrying the promised hot chocolate and putting it close to the two monsters. Red and Doomfanger had Sopran surrounded from all sides, making sure he was thoroughly cuddled. After hesitating for a second, he went to get something to help. While Red wasn't sure how to take care of someone after such a traumatic situation, Edge knew what would sometimes help his brother and went to get a soft blanket to warm up their guest. He brought it back and told his brother to stay close to the little monster, and to let Doomfanger do his thing. It seemed to be helping. 

Without anything left to do at the moment, Edge found himself a spot right on a nearby chair, trying to subtly keep an eye on Sopran. After he saw them sitting on the ground in that dirty alley, holding each other thigh he had a feeling that Sopran might finally be ready to open up a little. They didn’t seem as scared of Red at the moment, which was a good chance since Red was the one who saved him from the start. Red finally gained his trust (even though he had nearly ruined it with his crazy plan). It was nice to see him get comfortable. And also the hot chocolate made a huge difference. At least Edge hoped so. 

"I Am Sorry We Tricked You Sopran!" Edge cut the silence as he took a glass of juice he had made for himself. This had Sopran instantly shaking his head as he put down the cup he was tentatively drinking from and smiled up at Edge. 

*It’s… fine. Y-you didn’t do anything wrong. I-it was my fault. And you saved me.* He signed. *N-no one has ever done that before.*

This made both brothers freeze. Edge imagined Red was feeling just as guilty as he was, if not worse. They really fucked up this time.

"wasn't yer fault. it was my plan... wasn’t a good one. but at least ya got something from it.” Red interjected, trying to change the topic, making Edge narrow his sockets at him. His brother could never carry his guilt well. “mind if we ask what's da matter with those headphones?" 

The mentioned headphones were still clutched in one of Sopran’s hands, as if the little monster was terrified of losing them. Yet they were obviously broken. Why were they important enough for Sopran to risk his own life to get them back? 

*They were a gift from my brother.* Sopran slowly signed out, keeping his eyelights trained on his treasure. *It's the only thing I have left from him.*

Edge raised a browbone. That was a good way to start. Another piece found in this unsolved puzzle. There definitely was a Papyrus in Sopran’s universe. But he was unsure if that Papyrus was alive or not. And if he was, then did he know that Sopran was lost somewhere? Maybe Sopran’s universe wasn't peaceful and he had died before coming to the surface? That would explain the scars…

It was probably a bad idea to ask about that right now. If his brother was dead, talking about it could make the tiny monster shut down again. They would take whatever they got. 

"And The Alley? You've Said That Building Was Your 'Home', Right? But That Was A Lie, Wasn’t it?” Edge quickly added his questions, trying to use this chance before Sopran stiffened back up. “You Were Living In that Box, Weren’t You? How Long Have You Been There?" 

The barrage of questions made Sopran flinch. Edge couldn’t see his face and wasn’t sure if he had messed up. Moments passed with no answer, and just as Edge was ready to give up again, Sopran’s hands twitched, making two pairs of red eyelights snap to the little monster. 

*I-I'm no-not sure-re.* The shaky singing was hard to follow, but the brothers didn’t dare interrupt. *I l-lost track of-of ti-time…* Sopran paused, noticing his hands were shaking hard. 

Edge watched the little monster take a few deep breaths as his brother petted down his back. They would both wait. This was too important not to. 

*I was sleeping there for maybe a week? Or two?* Sopran glanced up at Edge as they managed to sign out a lot more calmly, expression sad but determined. *It was the only place I could stay. I didn’t know where else to go.* 

Sopran’s eyelights started to flicker, as he looked back down, gnashing his teeth together loud enough for Edge to hear. 

"it's okay. take yer time and take it slow. you don't have to tell us everything." Red said, putting his arm around Sopran’s shoulders, pulling him a little closer. 

*I-I’m s-sor-sorry.* Sopran’s hands started signing, but Red quickly grabbed him and shushed him as he held him gently, thumb rubbing over the shaking phalanges.

"You Don't Have To be. The Only Thing We're Asking You Is To Trust Us.” Edge sighed, rubbing a hand over his sockets. Today was hard. “You Are Safe. And You Can Stay Here As Long As You Want To. But,” Edge paused here, making sure his voice didn’t sound demanding, “We Need Answers. Those Monsters. They Looked Like Members Of A Gang. And They Wanted You Dead. Why?" 

"boss, don’t. yer pushin’ it too far." Red hissed, tone hard. Surprisingly Sopran started shaking his head, pulling onto Red’s hoodie sleeve and let out a tiny, almost silent, huff. 

*He's right. If you weren't there, they would've killed me.* Sopran took another deep breath, looking like he was trying to steel himself. With a tiny shudder, he started the story that brought him to the underfell brother’s house. *It wasn't my fault. It was an accident.*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edge is a bit... on _edge_ here >:D  
Though he did deserve it since both Red and him almost messed up very badly. Sopran could have been seriously hurt here, so the guilt was well earned >:(  
Hopefully they don't repeat something this dumb...
> 
> Now to finally find out why Red found Sopran in such a horrible state @_@


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm a dead girl walking! ♪♪♪  
<strike>Before they punch my clock</strike> ♪♪♪

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see how Sopran got mixed up with those bad monsters :/

It wasn't easy to talk about this. 

The fresh bloody memories, the nightmares... the screams flooded over and consumed them. The tiny skeleton felt another panic attack rising. 

_ ‘Stay calm.’ _ Taking a deep breath they tried to follow that thought. That was the only thing that mattered right now. Neither Red nor Edge would hurt them. They only wanted to know the truth. They wanted to help. And if it meant that Sopran had to tell them what happened, so be it. Maybe they would be satisfied with knowing that much for now.

Stealing themselves for the grueling explanation, they started signing the story of how they earned that cursed LV.

* * *

With the summer making the days longer the small skeleton had a very hard time to sneak outside of their “home” to gather some food. Those living on the streets quickly learned that if you’re hungry, you would have to wait until dark to go on a dumpster diving venture. Unless you wanted to risk getting caught in the act of stealing and at best getting shooed away or worse, getting hurt. 

For the tiny monster, it had become a daily routine over the last week or two. It was amazing how quickly a person could get used to surviving when they had to. Unfortunately, sometimes their food searching ended up in not being successful at all. Sopran could feel their magic levels running low. There wasn’t any food to score over the last few days, so they were getting desperate. 

But why had they chosen exactly this dark and grimy alley at this time? Who could tell? Maybe it was a grain of hope that had led them there. Or just the (un)fortunate hand of fate. Or, more likely, it was because there was a huge restaurant in front of it. Restaurants were usually a good sign. Sometimes if they were lucky enough they could find leftovers of the day’s sales. Fingers crossed, they approached the dump, hoping there would be food in one of the dumpsters there. 

As Sopran walked into the alley a strange, unsettling feeling washed over them. It gave them the sensation of déjà vu. It was as if they had seen this scene before, but from a different angle. It was like watching a bad horror movie, where you intend to scream at the antagonist not go that way because you knew it meant danger. But the tiny skeleton was too hungry. They checked everything twice, before slowly going into the darkness of the alley, closer to the dumpsters. Luck was on Sopran’s side, one of the dumpsters was left open. Since they were such a tiny and fragile monster there would have had a hard time to open the heavy lid, if they even managed at all... 

That and there was a nice smell coming out from inside the dumpster, besides the smell of trash and overused oil. Sopran managed to pick up a box, climbing on top of it and looking inside. There was a whole lot of cooked noodles, with something that appeared to be sauce, maybe some meat and if they saw right, also some fish. Thanks goodness! Finally something to eat! But the skeleton had to be quick. Their position must look very weird from the outside, the small legs peeking out of the dumpster opening, while their hands tried to reach one of the plastic plates to put some of the discovered food on it. 

Maybe it would help them to get some energy back. And, hopefully, to get a little bit more sleep tonight. It was hard enough to sleep in that cardboard box without their soul constantly aching for food. 

A nearly unnoticeable smile started to appear on the bony face, as they put a handful of the noodle mix into their mouth. It tasted like heaven. At a better time (if there ever was one) this would have been unthinkable to the little monster. It was probably hard to believe anyone would fall this far (especially by choice), but if you were in this kind of situation any food was great. It was almost like eating the finest cuisines you could imagine.

Just a little bit more and Sopran could take this treasure back to their hidden alley and enjoy it. An old, hidden, twisted allye, with no one else there, not even other homeless monsters or humans knew of it. It didn’t matter. This was better. Others would just hurt them. Or worse… take them back. 

They were thrown away by the only family that they loved and ended up alone on the street in their desperation to get him back. Now, alone and abandoned, lost, with no worth to society they were stuck here, digging for food in a dumpster. Still. This was better. Better than _ him _.

But, as it always is in life, when you think things are going well, everything goes bad. Again. If this was a movie scene, the music would slowly be getting louder, more sinister, darker, yet darker. 

Sopran froze as they heard noises coming from the street, the entrance to the alley. The only thought running through their head was to quickly grab the food and hide. 

“Hahaha. Oh my. Look what we’ve got here!” Sopran slipped out of the dumpsters opening, holding the food close to them and looking in the direction they heard the voice coming from. “A cute little dumpster diver. Out in the night, stealing food. Oh hey wait...” The voice was getting closer. 

Sopran felt magic sweat breaking out on their bony head, their eyelights shrank and started flickering. There was no way to run, no place to hide now that they were noticed. And as soon as the strange monsters came out of the shadows, the tiny skeleton’s eyelights widened. 

“No way!” A punkish like rabbit monster said with a high pitched voice. She started giggling, venom dripping from her voice, as she put her hands on her sides, staring at Sopran. “It’s one of those pretentious skeletons? A _ Sans _.” 

“Yessss... It is one. I would recognissssse a pile of shit like that anywhere.” Another monster practically hissed out. Looking closer, it seemed to be some kind of lizard monster. Sopran Didn't’ think they had seen them ever before, even if the monsters seemed to recognize them. Or maybe they mistook Sopran for someone else? There were a lot of universes and alternatives mixed up on the surface, even if Sopran never met any, they knew about them. Tenor had told them he had met some of his, before-

They were snapped out of their thoughts as a can flew by their head. Flinching hard, they snapped their head up, back at the monsters. The group of monsters was still getting closer, forcing Sopran to retreat towards the end of the ally. 

“I-I don’t-” 

“Shut up!” Sopran was mercilessly cut off by one of the monsters before they could even defend themselves. “You don’t get to talk. I had enough of your kind talking today.”

The small skeleton was scared. Frozen in place. They had no idea what was happening. Why were these, a lot bigger monsters, acting like that. They weren’t even allowed to talk? Ask for mercy or apologize for whatever falsely perceived wrongs they hadn’t really done. Fear ate away at the small monster as dark memories bubbled up, warnings they didn’t know were true or not rearing their ugly heads making it hard to think clearly.

Sopran felt a heaviness settle over their tiny soul as the air grew thick in the seemingly darker alley. These monsters meant danger, that’s for sure. 

“So you’re not a complete idiot, huh?” The monster in the middle of the pack that had interrupted Sopran started talking again. It was a boar monster, one whose very appearance scared the little skeleton. Sopran wasn’t sure if it was male or female, but what did it matter? The monster was almost double Sopran’s size (like most monsters were) and could probably snap them like a twig. 

Sopran tried to calm down, to not look too scared and stay prepared for what was coming. Instead of the expected insults it ended up being the huge hand of the boar, knocking the food out of Sopran’s hands right to the ground before they had a chance to react. Sopran looked at the mess on the ground, tears gathering on the edges of their sockets. So much for dinner tonight. 

“I’m talking with you, you little shitface! Look at me!” The boar monster yelled at them. “All you Sanses are such pathetic useless shits. Think you're so much better than the rest of us?! That you can refuse _ me _ like I was a piece of trash!!”

Sorpan stayed rigid. They had no idea what the monster was talking about. They wanted so badly to just run away from there. To not exist. To get away from this world that seemed so intent on beating the small monster into the ground. Yet it was impossible. Both escape and the freedom of eternal rest. Everything the world threw at them, everything their father did, brought them closer to losing those last few points of their remaining HoPe. Yet… something kept them going. Something inside their soul kept preserving through every obstacle, every hurt, every broken bone and insult thrown their way. 

Figures that in the end, they themself would be the main source of this horrid pain.

Looking up the tiny skeleton was made painfully aware that they could never fight back against the three monsters blocking the exit from the alleyway. And there was no one to protect them. Like anyone ever would. What a fucked up version of a Sans they were. They lost everything that mattered in their life. The only person that mattered. And it was all their fault for being useless. Worthless. A nuisance.

Their had learned that somehow alternates were brave, strong and loved. That they never gave up and that their brothers loved them. That they protected each other. Tenor spoke of that a few times and Sopran gladly listened. Even as their soul ached over their own incompetence and impotency to provide any of that. Sopran was lucky that Tenor loved them as long as he had. Sopran was nothing more than a burden...

Slowly the dark memories of the last day they saw their amazing brother tried to crawl back, making the small soul feel a heavy weight pressing on it. Their eyelights had nearly vanished as the little body started slightly shaking. 

Just for a moment, until they heard a strange clicking sound.

After realizing they almost got trapped in a spiral of old memories, Sopran’s eyelights focused back in front of them and... starred down the barrel of a gun. 

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just fire this into your stupid looking face?” The boar monster grunted out, a sadistic smile showing off her sharp tusks.

“Haha..look how scared he is! What a shity mess!” A bunny monster said. 

“Shut up Heather!” The boar hissed back. 

“Sorry~!” The bunny monster snipped back, acting like this was a daily occurrence to them.

“So? What’s your answer, shitface... huh?” The boar monster asked, focusing their icy glare back on Sopran.

Eyelights flickering, hands shaking, Sopran didn’t have much time to think before they got shot. Maybe they were still scared of dying, even after everything? Maybe they were scared of never seeing Tenor again? Maybe they hoped beyond hope this wasn’t everything, that there had to be something better out there for them. Whichever it was, they could feel a surge of terror going through their body and desperation to survive bubble out of it. 

The little skeleton knew they didn’t stand a chance against the other monsters. But they could try kicking something at them and then running past them fast enough to get away from there before the gun could fire. Unfortunately, there was nothing on the floor nearby to kick, no space to pass, and with their hunger ridden soul, it was questionable if they could maintain the speed necessary to run away. But Sopran _ had _ to try something. Anything.

And again, things happened too fast.

Sopran gathered the last piece of energy left in their exhausted body, flashed forward, kicked against the boar monster's hand and slipped underneath their legs. They saw the others jumping in surprise at hearing the boar monsters roar. Sopran could do it. Get their body to move and... 

_ NO! _ Suddenly they felt a strangling hold around their neck. 

The boar monster spun around lightning quick, grabbed Sopran’s long scarf and held it tight, cutting of Sopran’s breath and chance to escape.

“You little piece of shit, you’re not getting away!” The enraged boar growled as they loomed over the small monster. Sopran tried to move away, but they could only turn around which had them staring into the gun barrel once more. No way they would die here! Not now, not yet. Suddenly, they were getting pulled back, closer to the enraged monster. But before the boar had a grip on Sopran’s bones, the skeleton moved forward fast and got a hold on their hand, biting them as hard as their blunt teeth and small fangs could manage.

The boar monster screeched and let go of the scarf, making Sopran lose their balance. The fall to the ground was hard, but what matters was that Sopran was free, for now. They heard the boar screaming and yelling at them in pain, while the gun fell to the ground right next to Sopran. Out of instinct they reached for it, grabbed it and tried to get back to their feet, pointing the gun towards the much bigger monster. Their hands were shaking, would they be able to shoot? Sopran knew they couldn’t do it, but the monsters didn’t. They just had to bluff their way out of there.

“I swear I’ll kill you!” The boar shouted while the others stepped back for their own safety. Sopran saw the big monster moving, trying to get the gun back from them. At that moment, everything looked as if it was happening in slow motion. Sopran tried to escape backwards, the friends of the boar screamed, someone started maniacally laughing, the boar monster jumped in front of Sopran and... while both of them were fighting over the gun, pressed so close to each other…

It happened. 

“Fiona!!” A shout came from one of the other monsters, Sopran couldn’t make out who, but was quickly drowned out.

A shoot echoed through the alley, silencing everything around them. 

The jarring sensation of the whiplash mixed with the sound of the shot left an annoying ringing in their skull. Their sense of smell was flooded with the metallic scent of blood. Out of a reflex, Sopran closed their eyes, not able to move a single bone as they stumbled back a few steps, trying to focus again. 

Come on! Open your eyes... focus! NOW!

As Sopran gathered their senses back and managed to open their sockets they were completely black. There the boar monster, Fiona, was staring at her hands. They were covered in blood. Her face looked shocked, full of pain and fear of what was coming. 

Sopran could hear the other monsters fleeing from the scene. Running away like the cowards they were, while Sopran faced a huge bleeding wound in the middle of the chest of their attacker. Frozen in place, Sopran could see the other coughing blood, trembling and trying to move forward before her strength gave up and she fell forward, trying to catch herself on the skeleton’s shoulder.

Instincts kicking in Sopran reached out and tried to help her, to hold her up, but it ended up with the boar monster falling down on her knees, hands gripping the smaller monster. 

Suddenly they were eye to eye, so close that Sopran could feel the last breath coming out of the body in front of them. The last thing Sopran remembers was this broken and tiny “help me...” coming out of the boar’s mouth just a second before her eyes turned dark, lifeless. 

It was too late. 

She started to dust, standing so rigid that it looked like her bones would break. The moment the boar’s soul shattered, the cold rush of not just one, but three LV swept through Sopran’s bones and magic. The skeleton didn’t know what to feel. The horror of what they did. What they saw. The euphoria that the LV brought with itself. The high of a fresh kill making the negative thoughts more distant, less important. The two opposing sensations warred inside the small monster as they stood frozen in place, covered in blood and dust, staring at the empty dark alleyway.

It took forever for the rush to subside a little. Enough to let the gun fall out of their hands and for the shaking to start. They shook so hard, it sounded like their bones would fall apart. But they didn’t. There was only the rain, the sound of rattling bones and the silence of the death Sopran had caused.

The skeleton was left standing in that accursed alley, where just a few moments ago they were looking for food to continue a life, their life, and now they ended up taking one. Sopran’s meagre HoPe started to crack. What little right and will they had to live was gone. Like a puppet, the skeleton started walking, not going anywhere in particular. Hunger forgotten, waiting for the moment when the last of their HoPe would disappear and the karma would take them… 

And then, everything ended like a cliffhanger from a bad horror movie. Sopran walked out of the alley, everything had turned silent except for a too familiar laughter playing inside their skull. 

_ ‘I’ve always told you, you’re a failure.’ _ A voice echoed. _ ‘Do you really think your misery is over now? That you could finally take a rest from that pathetic thing you call life?’ _

One step. Another. Not seeing or feeling the street or the rain.

_ ‘Call me evil all you want. Yell that you hate me with all what’s left inside your weak body!’ _ The voice continued attacking.

The silence was broken by the sound of glass breaking. Their souls was already damaged, but now new cracks spread. Their magic dying. Hope and music lost. Voice broken. Gone. It was all gone. There was nothing left.

_ ‘ _ _ But your pain isn’t over! It never will be. Pain is the only thing you know-” _

* * *

Suddenly Sopran’s eyesockets shot open. Their breathing was way too fast as they rushed to look around, feeling a bad headache mixed with the panic and stress. Hands still shaking, breath close to hyperventilating the skeleton tried to focus on there they were and what had happened. 

“shhhhh. calm down bud.” A rough voice spoke near them, making them spin towards it. Red. It was… Red. He was rubbing their back and shushing them, trying to get their breathing back to normal.

Sopran relaxed almost immediately. It was okay. They were okay. Red was okay. He had saved them. He had done what no one else had, what Sopran never expected anyone to do. He saved them. He _ promised _to keep them safe. He was a judge and he would keep his promises.

*W-what happ-e-ened?” Sopran shakily singed out when they got their breathing under control.

“ya got a panic attack while ya were explainin’ how ya...” Red trailed off, reluctant to finish what he wanted to say.

“How You Gained Your LoVe.” Edge supplied, making Red shot him a glare. Unphased, Edge just glared back at his obstinate brother.

*Okay.* What else was there to say? They were weak, useless. They knew that already. And all these panic attacks only cemented those truths. With a heavy sigh, tears gathering at the edges of their sockets, Sopran forced themselves to ask *Did I tell you enough? D-do y-yo-uu kno-know what-t I did-id?*

Silence greeted them, but they had looked away as they asked that and were too scared to look back up. To see the disgust and judgment in the other’s sockets. They couldn’t take the rejection right now. Later. When their soul didn’t feel like it would crack again. Wouldn’t split wide open and ooze their sins-

“ya did.” Red’s voice jolted the little monster in his lap, making the tears spill silently. Here it comes. The pain is coming back. As if it ever truly left.

Gently, almost impossibly so for such a rough looking monster, Red places a clawed phalange under Sopran’s skull and lifted it up. The little monster didn’t resist. What was the point? They would have to face this anyway. Why postpone the inevitable?

“ya did, sweetheart.” The pet name made Sopran’s sockets widen. “an’ it wasn’ yer fault.”

That? What? What did Red-

“It Was Self-Defence. The Monster’s Had Firearm And Were Trying to Kill You. You Didn’t Have a choice.” Edge cut in before Sopran could even try to wrap their skull around Red’s words.

They… didn’t blame them? Red and Edge didn’t think they were disgusting? Vile? A killer? A demon? They… didn’t hate Sopran?

Before anyone knew what was happening, Sopran buried their skull in Red’s ribcage and started violently sobbing. The sobbs wrecked their tiny frame, as an occasional huff of breath could be heard. There was no sound, their voice was still completely lost, but the leftover pain and relief of being accepted couldn’t be stopped by that knowledge.

They could feel strong hands wrap around them, rocking them as their owner whispered soft words of comfort. Something they never knew. Something completely new. Something their soul craved even if Sopran didn’t know it, didn’t realize how much he needed.

After what felt like hours, with one last hiccup, the tiny monster let the exhaustion and darkness take them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeeelp that was intense but at least now we know how Sopran got their LV... yay? >.>
> 
> It's no wonder Sopran was in such an awful state when Red found the smol bean. Starving, scared out of their mind, soul cracking, and their music and voice lost :(  
If Red hadn't found Sopran when he did, they would have probably dusted from the loss of HoPe, so they were very very lucky ;w;
> 
> But... we still don't know how Sopran ended on the street and... who broke them before that? :/


End file.
